A Tale to Conquer Time
by Elactress
Summary: Sequel to Before the Haunting Hour. A love lost. A curse cast. A prophecy yet to be fulfilled. For over a hundred years, Edward Gracey has awaited her return, and now, his prayers have been answered - in the form of a music student by the name of Emilia Hartford. Elizabeth-OC/Edward Gracey. Film-based.
1. One Hundred and Twenty-Two Years Later

**Hello again, my dears! Elactress is back! It has certainly been a while, but I am so happy to be back with a sequel to** _ **Before the Haunting Hour**_ **! The following story takes place over the course of the Haunted Mansion film, and, as a result, will likely be shorter than its predecessor. My goal is to try and get a chapter up every week, but you know how terrible I am about that, so we'll see how long that lasts.**

 **Again, my face claim is Kylie Bunbury, as the character of Sara Evers is separate from my version of Elizabeth. All other characters remain the same.**

 **And so, I invite you to enjoy** _ **A Tale to Conquer Time.**_

 **Disclaimer: The following is based on a movie which is not mine.**

XXXXX

 **2003**

"Emilia! Emilia, it's almost nine! You're going to be late!"

I was only vaguely aware of the words Sara was shouting as I groggily came to, letting out a quiet groan at the feeling of something hard and not exactly comfortable beneath my cheek. A quick brush of my fingers confirmed my suspicions as several notes echoed in the air.

 _Not again…_

Reluctantly, I raised my head up and allowed my eyes to sliver open – only to immediately regret said decision when I was promptly blinded by the sunlight streaming through my window, inciting another groan from my mouth as I brought one hand up to shield my face and the other to rub my aching neck.

"No more late night ice cream for me." I grumbled.

"Hey Emmy! Up and at 'em!" Jim's voice yelled up the steps. "You got a big day of learning to get to!"

"I'm up, Jim! Be down in a minute!" I called back, rolling my eyes.

With a tired sigh, I clicked off the power on my keyboard and stood to my feet, arms raised above my head as I stretched out my fingers and shoulders.

I was less than a year away from completing my Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition at the University of New Orleans, and in the three years I had attended there, I had become very close with the Evers family, who had hired me as a live-in nanny and tutor for their kids when I was still in my freshman year. Now, however, I was practically one of them.

Sara was like a mom to me – sweet, gentle, encouraging, and most of all, loving. Having someone care for me like she did was something I never really experienced as a kid, having been constantly moved around in foster care after both of my parents were killed in car wreck. She was always checking in on me while I worked, and was more than happy to oblige me with a second opinion when I asked for it.

Jim and I also got along remarkably well. He appreciated the fact that I enjoyed his quick sense of humor, and, more often than not, our conversations ended up sparking a battle of wits between us, which I was proud to say I usually won.

Then there was Megan and Michael. Megan was a sassy thirteen-year-old who liked to argue with me, but who was secretly glad to have someone other than her parents to confide in. Michael was ten, and as sarcastic as his sister, but much easier to get to open up to me – though I often believed he was just happy to have someone around to protect him from Megan's sharp tongue. I cared for the two of them deeply, and I liked to think they cared for me.

"You know these eggs could've hatched by now!"

Jim's voice made me blink out of my reverie. Realizing I'd been standing in the same position for several minutes, I shook my head at myself and hurried over to my closet, throwing open the door and rapidly scanning the rows upon rows of vintage skirts and dresses that hung inside. My personal tastes had always deviated towards the old-fashioned, though Jim loved to mock me for it.

After finally choosing a black dress with white polka-dots, I laid the garment across my bed and shed my night shirt, tossing it in onto the floor and then pulling the gown over my head in haste. I ran a brush through my hair, grabbed my side bag, and made my way downstairs.

Sara was already clearing away her plate and Jim's as I stepped into the kitchen, and I was sadly unsurprised to see Jim already on his phone, no doubt trying to wrangle in another house on the market from the sound of his conversation.

"Well, have they signed with him yet? Then what the hell are you calling me for, Stan? Call them back and tell them we can get almost twice what these guys are making them settle for."

"Morning, Sara." I greeted her, moving to sit at the table across from Jim as she placed the dishes in the sink.

"Good morning." She smiled. "Did you sleep well last night?"

I paused halfway through pulling out my chair, contemplating whether or not I wanted to tell her the truth.

"Like the dead." I finally told her, sitting in the chair and hurriedly digging into the eggs and toast in front of me so as to avoid her questioning any further.

"Yes, I remember my appointment with the Colemans…But if that Mr. Coleman doesn't like this one, we're gonna have to start getting creative…Yeah, four o'clock…Yeah, Stan…Goodbye, Stan." Jim hung up the phone with an exasperated look.

"Well, I'm glad you can remember your appointments, but not our anniversary." Sara crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.

My head whipped up.

"Jim!" I scolded him.

"Ah, ah, ah!" He held up a finger in protest. "I did not forget! I just mixed up the days is all."

"Boy, I hope you have something good planned for tonight." I mumbled, biting into my toast.

"Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I do. The two of us will be going out for a private dinner this evening." He stated proudly.

"Which means we're gonna have to ask you to watch the kids tonight." Sara said apologetically.

"Sure, no problem." I shrugged. "Isn't Megan getting a little old to be babysat, though?"

"Yeah, but we're afraid if she's left unsupervised we might find Michael buried in the backyard later." Jim joked. "Now grab your toast and let's get going."

He stood from his seat and went to kiss Sara while I wrapped my bread in a napkin and quickly shoved the rest of my eggs in my mouth.

"I'll see you tonight, honey." He told her, giving her a brief peck.

"Just don't be late." She smirked.

"Now, when have I ever done that?" He held his arms out to the side innocently, backing towards the front door. "Come on, Mozart, we're out of here."

"Bye Sara!" I gave her a little wave as I stood and followed Jim.

"Bye Emilia! Have a good day in class!" She called out.

Jim held the door open for me, and the two of us headed out to his car.

XXXXX

We had been driving for over five minutes now in silence, and I was a little on edge. Normally by this pint, Jim would have made some kind of remark about my dress, or my hair, or… _something_. But today he merely stared straight ahead, keeping his eyes on the road except for a couple sideways glances over at me, which made me all the more nervous because he still said nothing.

"What, no comments today?" I teased him. "Nothing about the dress? It's brand new, you know."

"Well, first off, no it is not. That's the whole point of the word vintage – what it really is is just a fancy way of saying really old. So yes, that is a very nice very old dress you've got on." He mocked, and I smiled in relief at hearing one of his usual insults. "But I've got a question for you."

 _Uh oh._ My smile dropped.

"How did you really sleep last night?"

His eyes looked at me knowingly and I realized I'd been caught.

"I know." I groaned. "I know, it happened again."

"You consider yourself lucky that Sara didn't wake up and hear the music last night." He told me.

"Was it the same song?"

"Same as always."

A heavy sigh escaped me.

"Look, Em." Jim started. "We're just a little concerned about this sleep-playing thing. If for no other reason than it keeps us all up at night."

"I don't know why I do it. I don't even remember it the next day, I just wake up at my keyboard." I defended.

"And you've still got no idea where the song comes from, huh?"

I shook my head.

"It feels like something from a dream. Like I used to know it a long time ago and it's just…stuck in my subconscious." I tried to describe the peculiarity of it. "Maybe it's something from my childhood."

"It still amazes me that you don't even know what it sounds like." He brought up for the hundredth time.

"I don't. It goes away the minute I wake up."

The words came out a little sharp, but this was a conversation that we'd had far too many times before. Yes, I was as concerned about my 'condition' as Jim and Sara were, but I'd already seen dozens of shrinks and specialists over the years, and none of them had been able to explain it, or begin to help me. Even the heaviest sleeping pills had failed.

"Well, we'll have to remember to record it next time. God knows we've heard it enough." He jested. "…Just warning you, Megan might be a little tired when she gets home from school today."

"Oh, no." I moaned, putting my head in my hands.

"Hey, at least she'll fall asleep earlier than usual." He grinned.

"Not on a Thursday night before a long weekend." I pointed out, raising my head to glare at him.

"Don't you be looking at me like that. It's not my doing. Besides, if you ever actually had _plans_ for a weekend, you wouldn't have to work all the time."

"Jim-" I tried to stop him.

"I'm just saying that a girl like you ought to have a date or something every once in a while!"

"We _are_ _not_ discussing this right now. Or ever, actually."

Jim raised one of his hands up in surrender.

"Alright. You wanna keep yourself locked up in your room like one of those mad geniuses, that's fine by me." He shrugged.

We both lapsed into silence as my mind became occupied with all of my past failed attempts at romance. It wasn't that I didn't try. I'd been on more blind dates than I could count on both hands, and some of them had been very nice, but…but every time things began to get even a little bit serious with a guy, the most bizarre sensation of guilt would hit me, as if I were committing some heinous act of betrayal against...well, someone, I guessed. I just wished that this mysterious person would hurry up and show themselves already.

"Jim…when did you know you were in love with Sara?" I asked him.

He looked at me curiously.

"What do you mean when did I know? You don't _know_ when you love somebody, it just happens."

"But there had to be some moment!" I prompted him. "At some point, you have to have looked at her and thought 'yep, I'm in love with that woman'. When did it happen to you?"

For a long moment, he was unusually quiet, staring at the windshield and pondering my question.

"…It was our first date." He finally admitted.

My eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Really?"

"What, is that so hard to believe?"

"No, no! Sorry!" I said sheepishly. "Go on."

He nodded and continued.

"I took her to this nice restaurant, because…you know…I wanted to _impress_ her…and I was a complete mess the entire evening."

"No, you?" My eyes widened in mock astonishment.

"I'll have you know I was quite a Casanova back then." He told me pointedly. "But yes. My hands were shaking and my face was sweating and all I could think was 'please, God, just get me out of here'. And the food comes, and sitting in front of us is the ugliest damn bird I've ever seen. I mean, there was nothing but skin on those wings. And I looked at this bird and I looked up at Sara and I said 'Sara, I think we just got served the ugly duckling'. And…she laughed. It wasn't even a good joke, but she laughed, and in that moment I swore to myself that I was never letting her go."

I sat for several seconds in stunned silence.

"That's really romantic, Jim." I smiled.

"Well, you dragged it out of me." He smirked. "Now what, may I ask, did you need to know that for?"

"You asked me why I never really make dates with anyone, and…your story is the answer. Jim, I'm not interested in the casual kind of relationship that everyone else seems to be looking for. I…I want someone I can love. Someone to spend the rest of my life with. And so far, none of the men I've met have even come close!"

"Come close to what?" Jim asked as we entered the campus. "Just who exactly are you expecting to show up?"

He pulled the car up in front of the music building and turned to me expectantly.

"I don't know. But I'll know him when I see him."

Without another word, I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind me – in spite of Jim's protests – and making my way to my first class.

XXXXX

"Alright, everyone! We made some excellent progress today, so I trust that we'll retain that progress for Monday, yes? Yes, good. I'll see you all next week."

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the professor released our ensemble, officially ending my last class of the day. As I began to put my sheet music away, I spotted my friend Amy making her way across the room, violin still in hand.

"Thank God!" She huffed as she reached my side. "I thought my fingers were going to fall off."

"Don't let Professor Wilton hear you say that or she might make us do it again." I teased her.

A high-pitched giggle burst from her lips, and as I looked at her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, a strange sense of sorrow suddenly hit me. A familiar face flashed before my eyes, but as soon as my mind tried to place it, it was gone.

"Emmy? Yoo-hoo? Hello?"

I processed that Amy was snapping her fingers in front of my face and I sighed, pushing her hand down and turning to put my music in my bag as she leaned against the piano.

"A big group of us are going to karaoke tonight. Wanna tag along?" She asked.

"Can't. Nannying."

"Then at least let me drive you home."

I stood up and hoisted my bag onto my shoulder.

"You can drive me to the studio." I told her.

She let out a dramatic groan of exasperation.

"More music? Honestly, Em, someday you'll wind up all alone with only your notes to keep you company!"

"I can't help it." I claimed, unfazed by her words. "Music is what makes me happy. When I'm sitting there, watching my fingers on the keys…it's like I go to another world…another time. I get a thrill out of it, Amy. Don't you ever feel that way?"

"Sure, for maybe the first hour. But you?" She shook her head. "Two days wouldn't be enough to satisfy you."

I gave her a playful shove.

"If you're going to be like that, I'll just walk."

"No, no." She sighed. "Come on. Wouldn't want anything to come between you and your music."

The two of us walked over to her chair so she could gather her things, then, with our music in hand, we left the rehearsal hall.

XXXXX

Madame Lucy's Dance Studio was my favorite place to come at this time of day. Classes didn't start for another hour and I had special permission from Madame Lucy herself to use the baby grand in their largest classroom.

I sat there now, playing a few simple scales and letting the beautiful sound wash over me like the sunlight that was currently reflecting off the mirrors and flickering about on the walls, as if it had a life of its own. A tiny smile appeared on my face as I mused over how the beams appeared to dance to the music. Without batting an eye, I allowed my fingers to slide into place for the first few notes of Chopin's "Spring Waltz", and then I began to play.

 _Oh_ , the ecstasy that filled me as the flowing, gentle melody echoed in my ears. I would very willingly argue that it was one of the most soothing sounds in the entire world…and yet…there was a deeply rooted sorrow that somehow always managed to tinge the joy in my heart. An unsettling and sometimes unbearable longing sensation came over me each time I played on the piano, and it was that melancholy, above all else, that secretly inspired me to continue playing, day after day, hour after hour, constantly searching my mind for the memory that was causing me such grief. It was as if there was an emptiness inside my chest – one that had existed even before my parents were taken from me. I had long attributed this bizarre sadness to their passing…but then why did it only occur when I played?

Somewhere in my soul, I felt I was missing something, and I intended to keep playing until I found out what, or who, it was.

Ironically enough, the sorrow had actually helped along my playing, both by giving me the incentive to practice and by giving my music a depth of feeling that many composers sought their entire lives to achieve. I had excelled in my classes, becoming popular among my professors and earning myself a place in several local ensembles, should I choose to remain in the city after graduation. By all accounts, I should have been extremely happy with my life.

So then why did I feel so empty?

My thoughts were interrupted as the door swung open and Madame Lucy stepped in, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Emilia, but one of the older classes decided to start early today, and they need the room." She explained.

"Oh, of course." I smiled. "I ought to be getting home anyway."

I stood from the bench and pulled my bag over my shoulder in preparation for the long walk home.

"Have a good weekend, Emilia." Madame Lucy said as I passed her.

"You too." I nodded.

Little did I know where my path was about to take me.

XXXXX

 **And we're off! Kind of a slow start, but things will pick up real fast on the next chapter! See you soon, dear readers!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	2. Return to the Mansion

**Hello dear readers! I'm back again with another chapter! Yes, Jim and Sara are still based off Eddie Murphy and Marsha Thomason. Their role will become clear later on in the story :)**

 **Well, let's get to it, shall we?**

 **Disclaimer: The Haunted Mansion film and its characters are not mine.**

XXXXX

"I'm home!" I called out as I shut the front door.

"Hey Emmy."

I looked over to see Megan sitting on the living room couch with a book in her hand, eyes locked intently on the pages.

"Good book?" I asked, setting my bag by the stairs.

"Yeah, but the worst chapter." She frowned.

Curiosity got the better of me and I tilted my head to make out the title on the cover.

 _Jane Eyre._

"Oh, that's one of my favorites!"

"Yeah, well, right now it's killing me!" She groaned. "I'm like halfway through and everything is just going completely wrong!"

"Well, the good news is that means there's still plenty of time to fix things." I tried to reassure her, though judging by the eye roll she gave me I could tell I failed terribly.

"Thanks a lot." She muttered.

"Hey Emmy!"

My attention was caught by the sight of Michael running up to me with a deck of cards in his hand, and I had a very strong suspicion of what he was about to ask me.

"Pick a card! Any card!" He said, fanning them out in his hands.

Obediently, I plucked a random card from the deck.

"Now, take a look. Make sure I don't see it!"

It was the two of hearts.

"Now, put it back in the pile." He directed, and I did as he asked. "You remember it?"

"Yep, I've got it." I confirmed.

"Okay! Here we go!"

I watched in great amusement as he shuffled the deck around in his hands with surprising speed.

"Okay." He declared once the deck was stacked up. "Prepare to be amazed!"

His hands waved around dramatically in front of my face before throwing the whole deck of cards up into the air, and we both watched as they scattered rapidly across the floor around us.

"Abra cadabra!" He shouted, pulling a card from his sleeve. "Is this your card?"

It was the ace of spades.

"Sorry, Michael." I regretfully told him.

"Aw, dang!" He threw the card down. "I've been working on that all week!"

"You're supposed to catch it from the air, Michael." Megan droned from behind her book.

"Yeah? And what do you know about magic?" He turned to her accusingly.

"I know it ain't real!"

"Okay! Okay!" I quickly stepped between them. "Enough of this! Megan, you know better than to shame your brother for something he loves, Ms. Latin speaker. And Michael, don't get discouraged! Do you think Harry Houdini learned to escape handcuffs in a day?"

"Thanks, Emmy." He grinned.

Of course, it took all of two seconds for him to turn and stick his tongue out at Megan, who promptly slammed her book shut and stood to her feet with an angry huff, giving his shoulder a hard whack as she passed between us to retreat up to her room. I sighed. Some things never changed…

"Emilia? Is that you?" Sara's voice called from upstairs.

"Yes, I'm here!" I shouted back to her.

Her footsteps echoed on the stairs a moment later and she appeared just as she was putting one of her earrings in.

"Wow, Sara! You look great!" I complimented, taking in her nice sweater and her green and pink dress.

"Oh, thanks sweetie." She smiled. "Listen, Jim and I won't be home until later, so I left some money on the counter for pizza. Is that alright with you?"

"Sounds perfect." I nodded.

"Soda is alright, but try and make sure they're in bed before midnight. We should be home by then."

"Yes, ma'am." I gave her a little salute. "When are you heading out?"

"Just as soon as Jim gets home."

 _Uh-oh._ I gave her a pointed look.

"You know it's not like that." She assured me. "He promised he'd be back in time."

"Like we haven't heard that before." Michael commented dryly.

All I could do was hope that this time, Sara was right.

XXXXX

Jim was late. Very, very late.

I could practically feel the hurt radiating off of Sara as we stood side by side doing dishes in the kitchen, and my concern grew as I watched her angrily scrubbing at a plate I was sure she'd already washed twice.

"Hey…Sara?" I inquired gently.

"Yes?" Her voice was tense as she turned to me, dropping the plate back in the water.

"Are you okay?"

My question seemed to deflate her. She let out a heavy breath of frustration and nodded.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Just feeling a little…"

"Betrayed? Angry? Questioning your marriage?" I suggested helpfully.

Her lips turned upwards in a tiny smile.

"All except that last one." She said.

The sound of the doorbell resonated through the house and we both looked towards the door knowingly.

"That'll be Jim." Sara sighed.

"You want me to rough him up a bit for you?" I offered.

"That won't be necessary, thank you. Why don't you head upstairs and see what the kids are up to?"

"Okay…but I'll be right there if you need me." I told her.

She nodded gratefully and we both went our separate ways, Sara to the door and me up the stairs. Once I reached the top I could see Megan sitting on her bed, brow furrowed in agitation as she stared at the book in front of her. Quietly, I knocked on her open door.

"You look troubled." I noted as her head raised up.

"I am." She frowned. "This book is no good!"

My eyebrows shot up in surprise and I moved to sit beside her on the bed.

"What do you mean 'it's no good'? What's wrong with it?" I questioned, genuinely curious about the answer.

Megan let out a groan.

"I just don't understand why Jane doesn't go back to him!" She burst out. "I mean, if she misses him so much and is so miserable without him, then why won't she return?"

"Because she can't. Not really. The reason she had to leave in the first place is still there, remember?" I told her.

"Well, I didn't like that either." She mumbled.

I chuckled softly.

"She didn't really have a choice, Megan. All I can do is tell you to have faith that love will prevail in the end."

"Can't I just skip ahead already?" She whined.

"Nope. You have to suffer right along with her." I grinned.

"Megan! Michael! Emmy!"

Jim's feet sounded on the stairs.

"Big family adventure!"

That caught our attention. I shared a look with Megan and stood to go to the doorway just as Michael came screaming out of his room.

"T-There's a spider in my room!"

"What?" Jim tried to calm him down.

"There's a spider! He's on the window!" Michael pointed to his door, practically on the verge of tears.

"Well, why don't you kill it man?"

"That's a big spider!"

I heard Megan sigh in annoyance behind me and turned to see her coming up to shut the door.

"Honestly." She muttered as I stepped back into her room.

"You should give Michael a little more credit, Megan." I gently berated her.

"For what?" She looked at me incredulously. "He's scared of everything!"

As soon as the door clicked shut, she moved back to her bed and flopped down on top of it.

"Everyone's scared of something." I kneeled down by her side. "Just look at me! I still can't stand thunder and lightning."

That got me a bewildered look.

"But you never act like it." She pointed out.

"No, because I learned to overcome it. It was a game someone taught me, I think. All I have to do is pretend that the thunder and lightning are two people arguing."

"That's kind of dumb isn't it?" She scrunched her nose at me.

"So much so, that it sucks out everything frightening about it." I smirked. "So don't blame your brother for being scared of a little creepy crawly, eight-legged…thing. He can't help it. It's just something we all have to learn to take control of."

"Even me?" She asked.

"Even you." I confirmed. "There must be something you're afraid of."

"Not unless zombies suddenly become real."

"Alright you." I let out a snort and playfully ruffled her hair. "I think I preferred when we were talking about Jane Eyre's love life."

"Oh, don't even get me-"

" _You can do it. Whack the spider, son."_

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of Jim's not-so-tactful encouragement coming from Michael's room.

" _I don't wanna whack it."_

" _Yes, you can! Come on. Whack it."_

" _I don't wanna whack it."_

" _Well, kill the spider. Kill the spider."_

"I can't take this anymore!" Megan groaned.

Her legs swung off the bed and I swiftly followed her as she threw open the door and strode across the hall to where Jim was almost harassing poor Michael.

"Dad, I can't crush it! I can't whack it!" He was protesting.

Without a word, Megan marched into the room and took the magazine from her father's hand, whacking it against the window and effectively killing the small culprit, much to the relief of all except Jim.

"There. Happy?" She handed the magazine back to him.

"No, I am not happy, Megan." He tried to tell her as she headed past me out the door. "I was trying to make a point to your brother about how it's important to whack your own spiders!"

"Whatever." She called over her shoulder.

I let out a giggle and Jim looked at me accusingly.

"And don't even get me started on you, Mozart. I've still got that little tune of yours running through my head." He gestured exaggeratedly, coming to stand in the doorway beside me.

"What's all this I hear about a big family adventure?" I asked.

Jim's face lit up in remembering.

"Sara and I want to take you and the kids to the lake for the weekend." He beamed.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with you forgetting your own anniversary, would it?" I teased him.

A small squeak escaped me as he took my head beneath his arm and ruffled my hair.

"Alright, miss cheeky. Go pack your things." He instructed, releasing me from his grasp and heading towards Megan's room.

My lips turned up in a smirk as I thought of the conversation those two would get into, and I turned to make my way back to my own room – but as I passed the stairs, I could hear Sara talking to someone on the phone. My curiosity rose. Quietly, I made my way over to the upstairs receiver and lifted the phone to my ear.

" _It is an old home, Ms. Evers. And my employer is anxious to move on."_

A gasp was viciously wrenched from my throat.

 _That voice…I know that voice!_

It was as if I'd been plunged into icy waters – unable to move or breath or think. I was aware of nothing but that awful, rasping voice in my ear, and the way that its very sound now managed to terrify me more than anything I'd faced in this lifetime. I didn't even realize the phone had slipped from my grasp until the sound of it clattering on the floor brought me out of my trance, and I quickly reached down to return it to the receiver with shaking fingers before retreating to my room.

Something wasn't right. And I had a feeling I was about to find out what.

XXXXX

"Hey Emmy! Megan!" Jim called to us from out by the car. "Come on girls, let's get this show on the road!"

The two of us hurried down the front steps with our bags in tow and went to where he stood by the open trunk. Michael was already sitting patiently in his seat.

"What are we going for a flower power look today?" Jim asked as I handed him my bag, taking in my off-the-shoulder floral print dress.

"Just preparing to embrace Mother Nature." I smiled, giving a little twirl.

"Come on, let's get going already!" Michael groaned.

"Since when did you get so pushy?" Megan retorted as she tossed her bag in the trunk.

"Around the time you got so mean." He responded.

A surprised laugh burst from my mouth as I opened the car door and slid into the middle seat beside him.

"Oh, I hope you two can keep from scratching each other's eyes out up at the lake." I grinned. "Because I for one am planning to enjoy myself this weekend."

As Megan climbed grumbling into her seat beside me, Sara emerged from the house dressed in a nice pink blazer and skirt, which slightly baffled me. In fact, I swiftly noticed that Jim was also wearing one of his nicer suits. Not exactly lake attire.

My suspicions only rose as I noticed Sara slip a piece of paper into her purse before locking the front door, and as she and Jim came around to the front of the car, I couldn't help but think back to the mysterious phone call from last night.

"Do you have the directions?" Jim asked her as they slid into the front seats.

"Yes, I've got them."

I watched intently as Sara pulled out the slip of paper from her purse, and as it passed between their hands, my eyes caught sight of a single word: _Gracey._

The name made my heart flutter nervously in my chest. I felt…strangely happy. Perhaps it was a sign that my fears were unfounded after all.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Jim announced. "Evers family adventure, here we come!"

XXXXX

It took myself and the kids about twenty minutes before we realized that the road we were on was definitely not the road to the lake.

"Uh, dad? Where are we?" Michael asked.

I peered out the window past Megan's head, trying to contemplate what kind of business would take us through a swampland in the middle of nowhere…and how on earth a dirt path surrounded by a mess of twisting, tangled trees managed to be familiar to me.

"Look, we've just gotta make one quick stop at a potential client's house." Jim admitted.

Both Megan and Michael moaned.

"Really, Jim? You can't take one weekend off?" I protested.

The thought of discovering the type of person who would live out here was actually rather enthralling to me, but this was supposed to be a family weekend. It wasn't fair to them.

"It's just a little detour." He insisted, much to my chagrin.

"How long is it gonna take?" Megan pressed.

"No more than twenty minutes. Twenty minutes tops. You should be excited! Finally get to see mommy and daddy in real estate action."

The three of us all shared a look as his phone began to go off, and I chose to refocus my attention on the scenery as he answered in his usual business tone.

"Hello, Jim Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate…Stan! How you doing? What's the latest?...Really, the Selma property…tomorrow?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sara glance at him incredulously.

"Wow, I'm kind of out of town right now…but, hey, listen! Maybe I could come back early!"

My head whipped around and I immediately gave the back of his chair a hard kick while Sara stared at him in disbelief. That gave him the message.

"Oh no, I can't come back early." He backed down, giving me a quick glare. "No, I can't come back early. Um, maybe we should just take care of this on Monday…alright, Monday?...Monday sounds fantastic. Okay, I'll talk to you on Monday."

As he hung up the phone, he gave Sara a sheepish grin.

"Gonna talk on Monday."

I sighed and shook my head, returning my gaze to the window. There was something very calming about the sight of the marshy waters around us, like the sensation you get when you're returning somewhere after a long, long time. It was almost too easy to picture myself walking along the road's edge, _eyes wide with wonder as I searched for little creatures to show the man who was walking not three feet ahead of -_

I started up in my seat.

My brow furrowed in concentration as I tried, in vain, to bring back the image that had so suddenly flashed across my mind and just as suddenly vanished. Was it a memory? The man…I could swear I knew him somehow.

Was…was it possible I'd been down this path before?

"Are you alright, Emmy?"

I snapped out of my daze to see Megan giving me a funny look.

"Yeah," I answered, feeling somewhat bewildered as I sat back against the seat. "Just thought I saw something."

We lapsed back into silence as the car passed over a narrow bridge, but my mind was still racing.

"Are we still in America?" Michael innocently inquired.

The corners of my lips twitched and I let out a snort of amusement, though I had to admit as I glanced once more at the swamp outside that I wasn't entirely sure myself. We were surely far from civilization by now – having been on this path for over half an hour – and with all the bizarre sensations that had come over me thus far, I couldn't help but wonder if Michael was right, and perhaps we'd passed through a portal sometime back into this otherworldly place. The thought sent a small thrill through me, and I sat a little taller, suddenly feeling quite anxious to reach our destination.

"How much longer until we get there anyway?" Megan sat forward, looking almost pleading.

"It should be coming up any minute now…"

Sara trailed off as the trees began to thin out, and we all peered out the front windshield to see a curve appear in the road ahead.

"Like magic." I murmured jokingly.

But all my mirth immediately disappeared as the car emerged from the trees.

"Here it is right here. Okay? Right?"

I couldn't hear him.

Absolutely everything around me melted away as I gaped open-mouthed and wide-eyed at the house in front of us. Except it wasn't just a house.

It was a mansion.

My face went pale and my breath quickened to the point where I could hardly breathe as I drank in the glass conservatory, the enormous pillars out front, and the single tower that loomed against a stormy-looking sky.

 _It's just as beautiful as I remember it…_

 _I felt tears begin to well in my eyes at the sight of this wonderful place in such a state of disrepair – overtaken with vegetation from the swamp and shrouded in a darkness that seeped all life and joy from its once beloved walls._

"Man, that's a whole lot of gate. They must have a possum problem or something."

"That's some big possum."

 _I needed to get in there._

 _Before I was even aware of what I was doing, my hand reached across Megan and frantically shoved the car door open._

"Em? What are you doing?"

 _My eyes remained locked on the mansion as I staggered out onto the road and strode determinedly up to the gate, not bothering to shut the door behind me and completely disregarding Megan's question. All I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears as I wrapped my hands tightly around the bars and felt an unbearable longing take hold of me, as if someone had gripped my heart in their hands and was yanking me desperately forward._

 _He's waiting for me, I know he is! I have to get in. I have to find him. He needs me! I have to tell him –_

HONK! HONK!

 _Wait…what?_

I blinked into awareness.

When had I gotten out of the car? My hands were clenched so tightly around the gate that my knuckles were white, and I swiftly pulled them away, rubbing my aching fingers as I tried to make sense of my surroundings.

"Hello?!" Jim shouted, honking the horn again. "Hello, the Evers are here!"

My gaze moved back to the mansion. I had just been marveling over how beautiful it was and then…then what?

HONK! HONK!

"Yes, we're here now!"

I couldn't remember anything.

A shaky breath issued from my lips as I heard Jim and Sara step out of the car and come up beside me, and I couldn't stop myself from jumping as Sara placed a hand on my back.

"Are you alright, Emilia?" She asked me, concern marring her features.

I hesitated, glancing once more towards the mansion and eventually letting myself slowly nod.

"I sure hope so." I muttered.

"She's probably just amazed to have found a place that matches her wardrobe."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." I grimaced at Jim.

Sara and I went over to join him near the center of the gate and she took the strangely-shaped lock in her hand.

"How are we gonna get in?"

"What if you and Emmy give me a boost and I'll go around the back?" Jim joked. "They're probably old, we'll surprise them."

"You'll probably kill them!" She responded amusedly. "Let's just go. It's getting late."

The two of them turned to head back to the car, but I stayed where I was, dismay filling me at the thought of never getting to set foot in such a stunning home. I lifted my fingers up to reverently touch the lock…but just as I did so, the chain suddenly gave way, falling to the ground with a quiet clink as the gate shuddered and pulled itself open before my very wide and confused eyes.

"I swear that wasn't me." I insisted, raising my hands up innocently.

"Alright, now we're in business!" Jim declared.

My feet gradually carried me back towards the car, despite the anxious twist that my stomach gave when I saw Sara's face and knew I wasn't the only one feeling uneasy. As I maneuvered my way hastily back into my seat, I tried to ignore the weird look that Michael and Megan were giving me, choosing instead to keep my attention completely focused on the path ahead of us as the car pulled forward and we made our way up to the mysterious mansion.

XXXXX

 **Well, they made it there! Now to see what happens when they meet their host…**

 **Another chapter will be up next week! Feel free to review!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	3. Familiar Faces

**Hello again all! I have returned once again with a new chapter! Warning, there is MAJOR FLUFF in this chapter, and also there may be a bit of a delay with the chapter for next week, as I've just started a new job and am unsure of my scheduling just yet. But I shan't bore you with such details any longer – on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: Regrettably, the Haunted Mansion film and its characters are not mine.**

 **XXXXX**

The house was even more awe-inspiring up close, towering over us in all its majesty as we came to a stop by the front doors. Even as we all climbed out of the car, I was reluctant to let my eyes stray from its ornate, albeit, greatly worn down exterior, and in my chest I became aware of the same strange tugging sensation from before, beckoning me ever forward.

"Wow. Bob Vila would have a field day with this place." Jim remarked as I stepped out onto the soft, marshy ground, inadvertently slamming the door behind me.

The look he gave me made me realize my mistake.

"Hey, Emmy! Don't slam the door like that, it's very sensitive!" He objected.

"It's a car, dad." Megan frowned at him.

"Ah! It's not just a car! It's a very delicate piece of machinery. Shh, she didn't mean what she just said." He spoke to the car, earning a look of exasperation from both Michael and Megan.

"Sorry, Jim." I smirked as Sara came up beside me.

"Come on, let's see what's around back." She suggested.

We all moved to follow her up the front steps and around the balcony, but as we passed by the windows of the conservatory, my feet came to an abrupt halt.

It felt…it felt as though we were being watched.

Slowly, my head turned towards one of the glass panels and I tentatively stepped forward to lean down and peer inside – only to be greeted with an overgrowth of vegetation that further convinced me of the manor's poor state.

 _What kind of person would live this way?_

As I pondered this question, I heard Sara come up beside me and watched from the corner of my eye as she copied my actions, leaning down to peer through the glass.

"It's strange." She said. "The place looks almost deserted."

"Hey, honey?"

Jim's voice made us both look up, and the sight of what lay sprawled out for miles behind him made my blood run cold.

"They've got, uh…dead people in the backyard."

It was an endless sea of gravestones. With my eyes wide in horror and my skin prickled with unnerving goosebumps, I reluctantly followed Sara up to her husband's side and stood gaping in astonishment at the sheer number of monuments that stood before us. There must have been hundreds, maybe even thousands of them.

"Well, some people have pools, some people have private cemeteries. It happens."

Sara said it so simply and casually that for a moment I wondered if we were seeing the same thing.

"You're gonna sell a house…with this?" Megan questioned incredulously.

"You mean this historic sprawling manor with spacious grounds? Yes." Jim answered with the same surprising nonchalance that Sara had.

"Hey, that's good! We'll put that on the listing." Sara grinned.

"And leave out all the dead people?" Megan gaped at them.

"Well, we'll just stick to the bright side." Jim brushed her off.

All I could guess was that they must have seen some weird stuff working in the real estate business. However, as I opened my mouth to express this thought, the loud rumble of thunder from above interrupted me, and a wet drop hit my cheek, followed by another, and then another.

"Aw, no, I've got my good suit on!" Jim bemoaned as the rain began to fall.

We all rushed back to the front of the house to take shelter beneath the mansion's roof, Sara huddling with the kids while Jim and I looked up at the foreboding doorway.

"Do you think it's gonna stop?" I asked him.

"Oh, I hope it's not raining at the lake." Sara voiced all our fears aloud as Jim reached up a hand to bang the knocker on the door.

"Alright," he said turning to us, "you kids know that when you're at work with mommy and daddy you're always on your best behavior, right?"

Megan and Michael both nodded and he gave me an accusatory look.

"It's you I'm worried about." He jested.

I gasped in mock injury and brought a hand dramatically to my chest.

"How dare you imply such a thing, sir." I retorted.

"Case and point." He responded smugly, turning back to the door. "Whew, look at the size of these knockers! You ever see anything like that before?"

"And you're worried about _me_ causing trouble." I mumbled sarcastically.

Jim pointedly ignored me as he knocked on the door again.

"Hello! Evers Real Estate!"

There was no response.

"Evers Real Estate!"

Again, nothing.

"Maybe nobody's…"

My words instantly died in my throat as there was a quiet clank from the other side of the door, and with an ancient creak, it swung open to reveal the wonders inside.

"…home." I finished weakly.

There was no one standing inside to greet us which should have sent the stirrings of unease through me, but the smells that suddenly overcame my senses filled me with a warmth that I had never known before, one that felt as comforting as though someone had just taken me into their embrace. It was as if I could breathe properly for the first time in my life.

While the Evers lingered in the doorway, my feet carried me inside, spinning me around in circles as I took in the elegant tapestries and paintings on the walls, the Persian rugs beneath my feet, and, at last, the two grand staircases, which met at a large clock whose hands were stuck at the stroke of twelve, and appeared to have been so for quite some time. In fact, once my initial amazement began to fade, I realized that there were many signs of time in the room. The sweet scent of spices that had initially drawn me in was stale and musty, as though the door we'd just walked through hadn't been opened for years. All the lamps and the once-glittering chandelier above our heads were covered in layers of dust and cobwebs.

 _Michael's gonna love that,_ I thought as the Evers came in behind me.

"Hello?" Jim called out, his voice echoing. "Is anybody home? Hello? We're the Evers from Evers and Evers Real Estate?"

"I think they've figured that out, Jim." I told him, still taking in the sights around me. "This is so beautiful."

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Sara sounded as enthralled as I was.

"Never. Sara this puts us in a whole new league."

Even Jim sounded reverential. Of course, leave it to Megan to take the mysticism out of something.

"It smells like grandma's house." She complained, scrunching her nose.

"Worse. It smells like grandma." Michael added in, for once taking his sister's side.

"It's not that bad!" I defended, the words coming out a little sharper than I had intended them to, which earned me another weird look from the both of them.

"This place is just a little dusty." Jim said. "Get a cleaning crew to come out here and shine it up, this place will be sparkling from top to bottom."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Michael's fearful expression and knew he must have seen the cobwebs decorating the room.

"Mom, this place has spiders!"

It was as if his words had summoning powers, for they were barely out of his mouth when a loud creak came from the dark hallway beneath the clock, signalizing someone's approach.

A cold shiver ran through me.

Nervously, I turned with the others to stare into the darkness and could have sworn that it was staring right back. For in the next moment, a flash of lightning lit up the corridor, and the figure that was illuminated made me nearly bite through my lip to keep from screaming.

Those eyes…those icy, stabbing, cruel, _cruel_ eyes.

A part of my mind insisted I'd never seen them before and that my reaction was completely irrational, but…but there was another voice inside my head – one that sounded like me but…somehow, wasn't me – and this voice was screaming out danger with everything it had.

Suffice to say, as the white-haired figure emerged from the darkness, I promptly shifted to stand behind Sara and the kids. The figure was a man - a very old man by the looks of him – with a gaunt, sunken face that reminded me far too much of a Scooby Doo villain. And to make matters worse, he appeared to be the butler.

"Sara Evers?"

That voice. It was the voice I'd heard on the phone last night.

"Yes, I'm Sara." She spoke up.

"My name is Ramsley." The man rasped.

Even his name made me cringe inwardly. For an awkward pause, no one moved, and I was relieved to see that the others seemed as taken aback as I was. Then Jim glanced at us with an expression I knew far too well. I tried to discreetly shake my head at him, but he had already begun to make his over to our mysterious welcomer with his hand stretched out in front of him.

"Hello, Ramsley. I'm Jim Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate. At your service." He introduced himself.

Even with his back to us, I knew he had on that corny salesman grin of his. Ramsley didn't accept his hand, but let his eyes wander over to Megan, Michael, and I, much to my dismay.

"We were not expecting…"

His eyes met mine and I couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped me. Every muscle in my body immediately tensed, as though ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice, yet the chill that came over me was paralyzing.

"…others."

"Yes, we were on our way out of town." Sara explained apologetically.

The old man's eyes held me there for a moment longer before finally releasing me, and I was left to try and grasp what on earth had just happened. Jim took no notice.

"Yeah, and then when we realized the enormity and complexity of your unique estate, we wanted to commit the full resources of Evers and Evers Real Estate."

He came around behind me and Sara and pushed all of us forward, and though I leaned back against him as far as I could, I wound up much closer to the butler than I ever would have liked to be.

"Because at Evers and Evers, we want you to be happy for Evers and Evers, and please accept this waterproof calendar as a token of our appreciation."

The deadpan expression on Ramsley's face as Jim handed him the calendar gave away his thinly-veiled annoyance at the gesture. He stared at the "gift", then back at Jim, and for one fleeting moment, I swore I could actually see the cogs turning in his head, as though he were contemplating how best to deal with the situation now laid out before him. But my curious observations were interrupted when he spoke.

"Very well. We shall have to place other settings."

I shared a confused look with Jim as Ramsley started to lead us back down the dark hallway from which he'd come.

"Who are the other settings for?" Jim inquired.

"Master Gracey wishes to discuss his affairs over dinner."

 _Gracey._

There was that name again. What was it about this place that managed to have such an effect on me?

Sara was concerned for a much different reason.

"Oh, I'm afraid we have plans." She protested, looking at Jim. "Honey, we can't stay for dinner."

"Yes, but we mustn't be rude, darling." Was his stubborn reply.

"What about our family adventure?" Megan pushed him.

"Yeah, dad." added Michael.

He glanced back towards them in irritation.

"Look, we'll just have some soup and then we'll get going, okay? Alright?"

We all knew where this was going, but remained purposely silent as we passed by several imposing, yet oddly mesmerizing suits of armor, who stood as if ready to spring into battle at a moment's notice. But their allure instantly vanished as Ramsley pushed through the doors at the end of the hall.

The room that we stepped into was one I had only pictured in my greatest fantasies – from the magnificent high ceiling and shining marble floor to the roaring fire that danced on the other side of a table laden with food. It was stunning…but as I stepped forward to get a better look, a vision flashed across my mind.

 _All at once, I became surrounded by dozens upon dozens of masked figures, all dressed in brightly-colored clothing that transformed them into a dizzying kaleidoscope as they twirled in a frantic dance around me, moving so quickly it was impossible to make out their faces._

 _And then I realized I wasn't alone._

 _There was a hand firmly grasping onto mine, and another tight around my waist, leading me confidently along in the dance with the others. And just as I looked up into a pair of soft, brown eyes…_

"The master will be with you shortly."

The sound of that voice so close to my ear made me nearly jump out of my skin, and I whirled around to find Ramsley practically on top of me, staring down at me in that bizarre and unnerving way of his. Jim, who stood by the table with Sara and the kids, appeared greatly amused.

"Carry on." He spoke as if testing out a new toy.

The butler bowed his head and made his exit, much to my relief and Jim's pleasure.

"I say carry on, he walks off." He grinned at Sara giddily.

With a discreet roll of my eyes, I drew my attention away from the couple and walked over to the fireplace, watching as the flames leapt and jumped about excitedly.

"Have you ever seen a fireplace this amazing?" I breathed. "It just doesn't seem real."

"Wow." Jim walked up beside me, Sara following right behind. "We could have one heck of a weenie roast in that thing, huh?"

"Seriously!" Sara chimed in. "Look at this detail! I've never seen anything like this."

"Haven't you?"

I froze.

Every word, every thought, every breath was stolen from me as I heard the most beautiful sound in the world.

"My grandfather spared no expense when he built this mansion."

His voice was so strong and sure, yet it caressed my ear as softly as if it were velvet. My heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest, it was beating so fast, and everything in me begged the voice to speak again. Slowly, torturously, I turned my head and let my eyes fall upon the man who'd spoken.

And he was handsome. Very, _very_ handsome.

His thick, dark hair was combed perfectly into place, his suit was refined and immaculate, and he held himself with such poise and surety that you'd think he was a prince from a fairytale. But it was his eyes that entranced me. Even from the distance I was standing, I could make out the passion and intelligence within them, and I silently hoped that he would glance my way. Unfortunately, Jim got to him first.

"Well, your grandfather had great taste in tchotchkes! I'm Jim Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate. Charmed to make your acquaintance!" He gave his typical introduction.

The man looked slightly put off and I didn't blame him.

"Edward. Edward Gracey."

 _Edward._

The name formed silently on my lips, and the movement was so familiar it was as if I'd spoken it a thousand times before. Now, however, I watched in great anticipation as he ignored Jim's outstretched hand and let his gaze move in my direction – only to latch swiftly onto Sara. The look he gave her sent a strange ache through my heart. Jim also noticed his shift in attention, turning towards us and beckoning Sara forward.

"Uh, this is my wife. Sara? You wanna come meet Mr. Gracey?"

She strode forward eagerly, obviously just as curious about our host as I was.

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Gracey." She greeted him.

But he didn't hear her.

For the minute that she had moved towards him, our gazes suddenly met.

I'd never seen so many emotions appear on one man's face so rapidly. The minute that we looked at each other, his face grew pale and his lips parted in shock, as if he were staring at a ghost. He looked almost lost. His eyes - which seconds ago had been warm and gentle - were overwhelmed with grief, anguish, and confusion as he gaped at me for several long moments, his gaze flickering briefly over to Sara before finally settling back on me in stunned realization. And then his lips parted in a heartbreakingly beautiful smile. The shock on his features faded away and was replaced with what I could only describe as an expression of longing adoration. It surprised me, and I felt my cheeks grow warm as I gave him a shy smile of my own.

"And this is our daughter, Megan, and our son, Michael."

Mr. Gracey's eyes lingered on me a moment longer before he turned back to Sara, who appeared completely oblivious to what had just occurred between us as she ushered Megan and Michael over to stand in front of her.

"You have very beautiful children, Ms. Evers." He said politely.

"I kicked in some chromosomes, too." Jim joked, much to the exasperation of everyone on the room.

But it was far too easy to ignore him as Mr. Gracey's attention returned to me. My breath caught in my throat as he began to make his way across the room, his eyes never leaving mine, and as the distance between us rapidly disappeared, I came to the staggering understanding that the tugging sensation in my chest came not from the mansion…but from him. The discovery sent my stomach fluttering madly as he finally came to stand before me.

"Forgive me, my lady, I didn't see you before." He bowed his head to me. "Might I have the pleasure of your name?"

"Emilia Hartford, Mr. Gracey. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Without even thinking about it, I dropped into a small curtsy and rose back up to see him watching me absorbedly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Hartford." He murmured, taking my hand in his and leaning down to press a lingering kiss to my fingers.

If I could have blushed any harder, I did.

"Yes, uh, Emmy is a student at the University. She's been staying with us for a while." Jim spoke up.

In my daze, I'd almost forgotten about him and the others, and I turned my head to see them watching myself and Mr. Gracey bewilderedly. Suddenly aware of how close I was standing to a man I'd never met before, I swiftly took a step back towards the fireplace, my blush changing to that of embarrassment as I realized I'd been gawking at him like a complete idiot for the past five minutes.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gracey, I don't know what came over me." I apologized. "Thank you so much for allowing us into your home."

For a second, he looked disappointed, but then he quickly smiled and shook his head.

"Not at all, Ms. Hartford. Forgive me if I'm bold, but it's not often I find myself in the company of a lady as lovely as yourself."

I was speechless. My mouth opened wordlessly as I tried to determine what the right response was, but the re-entrance of Ramsley served as both a blessing and a curse.

"Children. Madame. Miss." He spoke, announcing that dinner was prepared.

Mr. Gracey looked down at me once more before moving to take his place at the head of the table, but not before assisting me into the chair beside his own.

"The master was very pleased you could come on such short notice." Ramsley droned as he held out a chair for Sara. "Normally, we would not have called you here so abruptly. But we had no other choice."

"Oh, what do you got termites or something? Big house like this must have a lot of termites." Jim said with his usual tact.

"No, but lately there have been more…disturbances."

I shrank in my seat as he crossed behind me.

"What do you think of the house, Ms. Hartford?" Mr. Gracey turned to me with an eyebrow raised.

"It's…it's almost impossible to describe." I tried to explain. "I know this might sound odd, but…there's something so familiar about it. Almost as if I've been here…"

As I glanced at the woman who'd come up to serve me, my eyes happened to meet hers, and my words immediately trailed off. I…I knew her. Somehow, I knew her. I was certain I'd never met her before, and yet, she was staring at me with the same shocked expression that Mr. Gracey had when he'd first seen me.

"Emma."

Mr. Gracey quietly spoke her name and she immediately broke eye contact with me, hurriedly going about her business with the food.

"You were saying, Ms. Hartford?" Mr. Gracey prompted me.

I turned to see him watching me patiently and swiftly remembered the question he had asked me.

"Just that your home is absolutely beautiful, Mr. Gracey." I smiled. "It's like something from a dream."

The expression on his face made it seem as though I'd just made all of his own dreams come true.

"It's a curious thing, Ms. Hartford, but tonight…I feel quite the same way."

XXXXX

 **Ayyyyyyy, they're back together! Kind of! Another chapter is in the works, dear readers!**


	4. The Night Begins

**Greetings readers! I am happy to be back and on schedule with a new chapter! I thought I'd take this opportunity to thank Dooka1999, CCangel, withloveee, QueenLeo1994, and Lady Ravanna for your incredibly kind comments, as well as all of you who have followed/favorited this story, once again including withloveee, CCangel, and QueenLeo1994, as well as alexc1209, Devil's Chick93, gxfan537, and BakingIsLife. You are all greatly appreciated and I hope all of your summers are going splendidly!**

 **Also, in this chapter, the third point of view comes into play to relay what the Evers are doing when not with Emilia. It will mostly be taken directly from the film, but I felt that leaving it out would make the story seem incomplete.**

 **Disclaimer: I've tried to barter with Disney, but unfortunately, this film is still not mine.**

XXXXX

Thunder crashed. The storm raged on outside and, for once in my life, I inwardly pleaded for it to continue, to give me more time with the man seated beside me.

Mr. Gracey was the most mesmerizing person I'd ever laid eyes upon. His deep, soothing voice; his gentlemanly behavior; and his unbridled passion – evident in every word he spoke – left me begging to learn more about him, to find out what it was that drew us so strongly together. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. Not that he minded.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of me, either.

"This house is my inheritance. My birthright. But lately it's become too much to bear. Tell me, Mr. Evers," Mr. Gracey's voice became agitated, "do you believe in ghosts?"

The hairs on the back of my neck instantly rose and I shared a glance of uncertainty with Megan and Michael.

"Ghosts…Yeah, sure, I believe in ghosts, yeah." Jim nodded.

 _Real convincing, Jim._

"I don't think it's a good idea to put that information on the listing, though. You should talk about how many bathrooms are in the house. People love bathrooms. We should play up the whole toilet angle and leave out ghosts for now. I think that'd be best."

I shot him a glare of irritation, earning only a questioning shrug in return.

"The storm has swollen the river."

At the sound of a statement I'd been waiting to hear all night, my head whipped around and I saw that Ramsley stood staring out the window, illuminated by lightning and looking even more ghastly than before.

"How's that?" Jim asked.

"The storm has flooded the road. I'm afraid there will be no leaving the mansion tonight."

 _Yes!_ I couldn't help the thrill of anticipation that ran through me at the thought of spending more time in this enchanting place, and, more particularly, with its captivating owner.

"What?!"

Megan's outraged shout, however, made guilt overpower my excitement, especially as I took in the disappointment on both her face and Michael's. They'd been so looking forward to our trip. I tried my best to look upset, though I'm sure I failed miserably.

"Of course, you are all more than welcome to spend the night here." Mr. Gracey offered.

 _Yes, please!_

"Oh, no, I really don't think we should, we've got plans." Sara protested.

Mr. Gracey's face grew abruptly solemn.

"I'm afraid there's no other way. Ramsley will show you to your rooms."

As he stood to leave, his eyes glanced towards me once more, and the corner of his lips twitched in the tiniest of smiles. But the moment that his back was turned, panic struck me. My stomach gave a nauseating lurch, my face went pale, and everything within me urged me – _pleaded_ with me – not to let him out of my sight.

 _Not when you've only just found him!_

… _Just found him?_

"If you'll follow me, please." Ramsley instructed us.

As I stood to follow the Evers after him, I no longer had to pretend to look distressed.

XXXXX

I trailed slowly down the corridor after Ramsley and the others, my mind far away as I looked around me, taking in every detail with unfaltering awe. But when we turned the corner, my feet stopped dead in their tracks. An astonishingly powerful sense of déjà vu washed over me as I observed my surroundings with widening eyes, and for the second time that night, a vision flashed across my mind.

 _A young girl ran giggling down the hallway, a book clasped firmly to her chest. Her dark hair blew freely behind her, and when an inaudible male voice called out, she turned her head to reveal a pair of shining, dark eyes and a smile as bright as the sun._

I gasped sharply, snapping back to reality like a rubber band.

"Hey, Emmy, you awake back there?" Jim teased.

My head barely nodded and I hurried to catch up to them, contemplating what I'd just seen with anxious bewilderment.

That little girl was me.

XXXXX

After what felt like an eternity of traversing the twisting halls of Gracey Manor, Ramsley finally came to a halt in front of a pair of double doors, which he opened to reveal an exquisitely elegant room beyond, though Megan and Michael looked less than impressed.

"I believe the children will be comfortable in this room." Ramsley beckoned them.

"Yeah. Real homey." Megan muttered.

"You'll be fine." Sara answered, leaning down to kiss her and Michael goodnight.

"Just think of it as part of the adventure." I assured them, though I couldn't deny my own hesitations about leaving them alone.

"And hey, listen, when you flush the toilet, check and see how quickly it refills." Jim pressed, earning yet another eyeroll from myself and the kids as Megan shut the door.

"Goodnight, dad."

He gave her one last cheesy grin before the three of us moved to follow Ramsley further down the hall and over to the next set of doors, which, as I observed their design, took on the same familiar quality that the rest of the house seemed to possess. Just as before, Ramsley stopped and held the door open, and I couldn't help but flinch as his stony eyes landed on me.

"Ms. Hartford." He hissed.

Reluctantly, I turned to bid my companions farewell.

"Goodnight, Jim. Goodnight, Sara."

"Get some sleep, okay honey?" Sara embraced me comfortingly.

"I'll try." I hugged her back.

With a deep breath, I turned to enter the room, pressing myself as tightly as possible against the doorframe in a vain attempt to avoid the unsettling butler.

"Goodnight, Ms. Hartford."

The phrase struck me like lightning. My eyes flashed up to his in alarm and an involuntary gasp slipped from my lips as he met my stare head on, glaring back down at me with an intensely bitter expression that filled me with confused resentment towards him. And then he closed the door and was gone.

All of my energy left me as I collapsed against the doorframe and slid down to the floor, my mind racing.

This was too much. My heart insisted that I'd been here before even while my head - my own memories - told me otherwise, and yet, every second that I spent in the mansion made me fall more and more in love with it. This place was a fantasy. It was beautiful, and elegant, and mysterious…and sad. Whatever it was that could cause Mr. Gracey so much sorrow, it had taken over the entire house, looming over it like a dark cloud and dragging its owner further and further into the depths of despair.

There was a story here waiting to be told.

And I trusted only one person to do so.

XXXXX

I peeked my head out into the empty hallway, stepping quietly from the confines of my room.

 _If I were Mr. Gracey, where would I be?_

The corridors around me gave no clue as to where they might lead, and so, with a sigh, I closed my eyes and began to move my finger back and forth, silently chanting.

 _Eenie meenie miny moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers, let him go, eenie meenie miny –_

"Ms. Hartford."

My entire body jolted as I whirled around and came face to face with a glowering, infuriated Ramsley.

"Oh, it's just you." I breathed, though my whole body was tense with nerves.

One step forward had him looming menacingly over me. I suddenly felt about two inches tall.

"And why, might I ask, are you out of your room?"

The look he gave me made it seem as though I were committing some kind of heinous crime.

"I…I was…just looking for Mr. Gracey." I choked on my words. "Do you happen to know – "

"Mr. Gracey has retired to his chambers for the evening, and is _not_ to be disturbed. Is that clear…Ms. Hartford?"

In his voice was a venom and a pure _hatred_ that shocked me to my core. I was vaguely aware that my mouth was open and I clenched it shut, nodding vigorously and practically sprinting back inside the room, locking the door behind me.

My hands shook.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, in the next room over, Jim and Sara were facing their own problems.

"In the first place, we weren't even supposed to be here! We were supposed to be at the lake!" Sara confronted him.

"And what am I supposed to do? Control the weather now, Sara?" He threw his arms up defensively.

She shot him a scathing glare.

"That's not the point. You just couldn't resist. You had to come."

"Excuse me, but this is a big opportunity for all of us!"

That made her pause. Slowly, deliberately, she turned and looked at him with all the frustration and scrutiny she'd been trying to withhold the entire evening.

"Not for us." She grimaced, walking over to stand in front of him. "For you. The only thing you seem to care about anymore is work."

"Oh, but when I'm working hard like this it doesn't matter as long as I'm bringing you home expensive gifts, right?"

Jim knew his mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Sara's face was full of disbelief and hurt, but before he could even begin to apologize, that expression quickly morphed into one of anger and coldness, and she immediately reached for the watch that was wrapped around her wrist.

"Hey, what are you…"

His words trailed off as she held up his gift threateningly, and he knew she was serious.

"Hey, Sara. Sara, I didn't mean to say that, okay?" He tried to calm her, but she ignored him and headed towards the bathroom, throwing the watch dismissively onto the bed.

She might as well have dismissed him, for the action sent a sharp pang through his chest as he hurriedly crossed the room and grabbed her by the arm just as she was about to slam the door in his face.

"Sara, come on, stop." He pleaded with her.

"What is there to say, Jim?" She snapped.

"Sara, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I –"

"Pardon the intrusion, sir."

Both Sara and Jim jolted in surprise and whipped around to see Ramsley standing in the doorway of the room, watching them disinterestedly.

"Oh, Ramsley. It's just you." Sara smiled, putting a hand to her chest in relief.

"My apologies, madam. The master was wondering if he might have a word with the two of you in the library." He explained.

"A word?" Jim raised an eyebrow curiously, straightening his tie as he went back into business mode. "Okay, yeah, we'd love to have a word with him. Sure. Let's go talk some turkey."

"…Yes. Turkey. Very good, sir. If you will kindly follow me."

Jim turned to Sara as if to place a hand on her shoulder, but she briskly strode past him and after the butler, leaving him to follow dejectedly behind.

XXXXX

"Would you care for a drink, sir, while you're waiting?" Ramsley asked as he led them into the library.

"Yeah, don't mind if I do. Thank you, Ramsley." Jim nodded.

"And you, madam?" He inquired Sara.

"No, thank you." Sara answered, obviously occupied with taking in the room around her.

As she and Jim drew further inside, their attention was drawn to the fireplace, above which hung a large painting that appeared to be Mr. Gracey himself, or, if not, a relative with an uncanny resemblance to him.

"Oh, wow!" Jim declared boisterously. "Now that's class! That's what I need to do over at my place, get a big picture of myself and put it on the living room wall. Adds a touch of elegance to the room!"

"Yes, sir. Very elegant." Ramsley drawled as he handed the drink to him.

"Is that Mr. Gracey?" Sara asked, still staring up at the painting.

"His grandfather, Mrs. Evers. The two of them were…close."

"It's amazing how similar they look." She murmured.

"Indeed. I knew the former master well, and I daresay they could almost be the same person."

There was a pause as the three of them continued to look up at the portrait, then Jim cleared his throat and looked back at Ramsley.

"So, Ramsley, how long have you been a butler?" He questioned.

"A long time." Was the vague reply.

"What are the most important qualifications in case I might be doing some interviewing?"

The elder man seemed to think carefully about his answer.

"Attending to every detail, understanding priorities, and above all, knowing one's place." He said as he paced to the other side of the room, and Sara didn't miss the pointed look he sent her husband upon his last words.

Jim did, of course.

"And what's your boss like to do? What's he into? You know, what floats his boat?"

"…The master likes a great many things." He began, once again pacing away from Jim as if to avoid him. "Art, literature, beauty."

"And all that stuff about ghosts, what'd he get a bad clam in his jambalaya one night?" Jim smirked.

"I really don't think it's our _place_ to ask." Sara told him sharply.

"You don't believe in ghosts, sir?" Ramsley queried.

Ignoring his wife's disapproval, Jim laughingly shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Let me tell you something, Ramsley. The way I see it, you only go around the track once, but you do it full out all the way around." He lounged himself in one of the chairs and raised his glass as if to toast.

Ramsley looked down at him and over at Sara as if pondering something, then he lowered his voice and leaned in to speak to them conspiratorially.

"Mr. Evers, Mrs. Evers…may I confide in you?"

The request surprised both of them, and they instinctually shared a glance before Sara nodded.

"Of course."

"The master is not well. He must _leave_ this house as soon as possible. He must move on. It is of the _gravest_ importance, I assure you. Or I fear the very worst."

"Move on from what? What happened here, Ramsley?" Sara pushed him, letting her inquisitive nature take over.

He stared at her for a moment.

"I'm afraid it is not for me to say, Mrs. Evers. And if I can be of no other service at the present time, then I shall leave you to wait for the master." He said.

And with that, he bowed his head and exited the room, leaving the couple to themselves.

"Whew." Jim huffed, standing to his feet. "I guess having a half-crazed owner is part of the charm of this place, huh?"

"Well, it's no wonder Mr. Gracey's depressed! He didn't mention any living relatives at dinner, and the only other people we've seen here are the staff, which means he's been living alone out here for who knows how many years. That would drive any person a little mad with loneliness." Sara reasoned.

"I'll give him this. He sure knows how to live life with style." Jim grinned, strolling over to the desk in front of the fireplace.

As he plopped himself into the chair behind it, Sara crossed to his side, hands impatiently on her hips as she stared him down like a mother would a troublesome child.

"Jim, what are you doing?" She sighed.

"Relax, honey!" He shrugged, pulling out a cigar from the box in front of him and casually pocketing a box of matches. "I'm just trying to get a feel for the place – start thinking about how we wanna market it."

"Look, Mr. Gracey has been extremely polite letting us stay here, now the last thing he needs is for you to be snooping around in his private things." She urged him.

"If this cigar is so private, then how come there's a perfectly good box of them just sitting out waiting for people to take them? Now, watch this." He cleared his throat and when he spoke again it was in a fake English accent, clearly mocking their host. "Oh, hello there good man! Ramsley, fix the gentleman a drink."

"Jim, don't-"

"Nigel, I just recently returned from the continent, where I found the most interesting book! Yes, it was called raising the dead–"

Sara gasped in horror as he knocked his glass onto the floor, spilling the amber liquid onto the carpet.

"Jim!"

"Oh, cripes." He grimaced. "Oh, I hope that doesn't stain."

The two of them quickly knelt down to attempt to clean up the mess, but as Jim sat up to return the glass to the desk, his arm bumped the head of a statue on the corner and it tilted forward, instigating a loud clank as the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room suddenly slid open, revealing a secret stairwell behind it.

They both stared at it for a moment. Then Sara eagerly stepped forward to investigate, all worries about the spill instantly out of mind. As she approached the hidden doorway, she slowed her walk, cautiously peering inside to try and discern where the stairs led to and admiring the work that must have gone into creating such a passageway.

"This is incredible." She breathed. "Jim, come take a look at this!"

"Hang on, I just want to try something first. Step back a minute, would you?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she did as he asked, taking a small step backwards. But the reason for this became clear as Jim began to play around with the statue head, first letting the door close all the way, then experimenting by rapidly flipping the head back and forth on its hinges while the bookshelf creaked in protestation.

"Alright, Jim…Jim!" Sara chuckled, though slightly irked that he had managed to get a laugh out of her. "That thing must be at least a hundred years old, you'll get us all thrown out of here if you keep going on like that."

He flicked the head forward one more time, letting the bookshelf slide into its open position before coming up to join Sara in her gawking.

"Wow. That's different." He murmured, his voice echoing in the darkness.

"Do you think Mr. Gracey knows about this?" Sara pondered aloud, moving further inside and putting her foot carefully on the first step going up.

"I don't know, but I wonder where it leads to." Jim said, coming in behind her.

However, barely had he set both feet inside the doorway when, all of a sudden, the bookshelf shuddered and pulled itself closed, leaving the two of them trapped inside.

"Hey! Hey, open this back up!" Jim shouted, searching for a handle or button of some kind. "Hey, open up! Ramsley! Ramsley! Push back the head!"

After a minute or so of shouting and pounding on the door, Jim stopped and bent forward with his hands on his knees, obviously winded.

"What do we do now?" Sara asked.

"We're gonna have to find another way out of here." Jim decided. "Hold on a minute."

His hands searched for several seconds through his pockets before he found what he was looking for, holding the box of matches up triumphantly in his hand.

"See? Sometimes it pays to take other people's things."

He lit the match, illuminating the stairwell in a dim orange light, and then he looked at Sara.

"Upwards and onwards, then?"

She nodded.

"Upwards and onwards."

XXXXX

Back in their room upstairs, Michael and Megan were doing their best to occupy themselves - that is to say, with limited success.

"I can't believe this! Still no reception! Had to take that little detour. Twenty minutes tops, yeah right!" Megan complained as she paced back and forth across the room, phone in hand as she tried desperately to contact someone from the outside world.

Michael was more interested in the storm outside, believing that maybe if he thought about it hard enough, he could stop the rain and they could all get out of there and start on their big family adventure already.

"Do you think it's gonna stop raining soon?" He asked, looking towards his sister hopefully.

"How should I know? I'm not the weather man." She muttered, plopping down beside him at the window.

It was silent for a while as they both sat listening to the thunder rumbling outside, then Megan spoke again.

"Did you notice anything weird about Emmy tonight?"

"You mean weirder than usual?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Like when we first got here and she climbed out of the car…she had a really weird look on her face." She frowned.

"I didn't see anything." He shrugged.

"Aw, come on, Michael!" She chided him, hopping to her feet. "Are you that blind? Did you even see the way that she and that Gracey guy were making googly eyes at each other during dinner? I'll bet she's glad we're stuck here."

"Wait a second. Are you saying Emmy likes that guy? As in _like_ like?"

It wasn't that Michael disliked Edward Gracey, for it wasn't in his nature to truly dislike anything (except spiders, of course), but he'd grown quite used to having Emmy's full attention and so was caught off guard by his sister's inference that their nanny and the mysterious man they'd met might have feelings for each other.

"Yep. You really are blind." Megan taunted him. "I'm gonna see if the bathroom has a better signal. Just don't break anything."

She turned on her heel and strode over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaving Michael to explore the room around him at his own free will. His feet carried him over to the table behind the sofa, upon which were laid out many items that were simply too odd for him to ignore, including a jar of brandy, whose bitter smell made his nose cringe, and a hair brush, which he ran curiously through the little hair that was on his head.

But it was the last item which intrigued him the most: a large black box. He strolled leisurely over to the item, in no hurry to eliminate its mystery, and when he did open it, was surprised by the sound of music from within, though the purpose of it was revealed by the two dancing figurines that emerged and began to spin about upon a little platform. As he looked closely, he couldn't help but notice that they bore a strange resemblance to the two people that he and Megan had just been discussing. And then something even more bizarre caught his eye.

When he saw it in the mirror, he believed it was a trick of the light at first, but it took him all of two seconds to recognize that whatever it was, it was all too real, and it was floating directly behind him.

"Megan!" He screamed, whirling around.

His cry sent her scrambling from the bathroom, and when she laid eyes on what was in the middle of the room, her phone slipped from her fingers.

For two glowing, blue orbs were hovering in the air.

They didn't appear malicious. In fact, their ethereal appearance was quite beautiful, but all the same, it was impossible for them to be there.

"What do you think it is?" Megan asked carefully, afraid that her voice might spook them away.

Michael rushed to stand by her side, and the two of them stared at the beings warily.

"They're ghost balls." He whispered.

It was as if the orbs could understand him, for these words made them move towards the children, who backed as far away as they could until their backs hit the wall behind them. The ghost balls lingered there a moment, then began to float away towards a door on the other side of the bed.

"I think they want us to follow them." Megan walked forward, mesmerized by their appearance.

Michael, on the other hand, ran to stop her.

"I think you're crazy." He said bluntly.

They glanced back up at the two ghostly orbs, which paused just outside the mystery door before disappearing through the other side, beckoning their watchers to do the same.

"They do! They want us to follow them!" Megan concluded, and - wasting no chance at having an adventure beyond the confines of the bedroom – she immediately hurried over to the door, pulling it open and vanishing into the room beyond.

Michael stared after her in dismay, torn between the safety of his current situation and the prospect of being alone in a thunderstorm in a big, creepy mansion, with probably dozens upon dozens of spiders –

His mind was made up. He swiftly grabbed ahold of his bag and ran after his sister, ready for whatever it was that fate had decided to throw their way.

"Hey, Megan, wait up!"

XXXXX

 **Okay, so not as much Edward in this chapter, but I promise that the rest of the story is focused very heavily on him and Emilia, so fret not! Another chapter is on the way! Also, any guesses as to who our** _ **two**_ **ghost balls are? (Hint: it's not Elizabeth in this story.)**


	5. Her Name Was Elizabeth

**Hello, hello, hello! It's me again! And oh my word, y'all, your reviews have made me SO, SO HAPPY! Thank you to AlleyCAT19, Fawkes Devaue, and grapejuice101 for favoriting/following this story! All of you have given me a heck of a lotta motivation to keep working on this, so, without further ado, please enjoy a new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: All rights to this movie are reserved for Disney, not for me.**

XXXXX

 _Come on, Emilia. You can do this. Don't be a coward._

I paced back and forth in front of the bedroom doors, as I'd been doing ever since my awkward encounter with Ramsley out in the corridor, and the longer that I paced, the more indignant the old butler's actions made me feel. What right did he have to restrict me to this room? After all, he wasn't the one who had invited us to stay here, and though I'd only known Mr. Gracey for a short period of time, I couldn't imagine him being angry with me for trying to seek him out.

But even as these thoughts formed in my head, my heart began to pound anxiously. What if I was wrong? True, Mr. Gracey had been extremely kind to me the entire evening, but I was still in the home of a man that I hardly knew. And what would Ramsley do if he discovered I'd ignored his warning? Just the sight of him when we first met had been enough to scare a year or two off of my life, and the thought of those eyes, which were already so hateful towards me, staring down at me in fury was a possibility that I wanted to avoid at all cost.

But this place…

There had to be a reason that so many bizarre things were happening to me. Those visions I'd had earlier – the dancing people and the little girl – it was as if they'd been painfully dragged kicking and screaming from the deepest recesses of my mind in a frantic attempt to get me to remember… _something._ Whatever the reason I'd been brought here, however familiar it all seemed to me, my purpose still alluded me. There was so much I wanted to ask about…so much I needed to know.

My eyes drifted over to the doors.

Ignoring the warning signals that automatically went off in my head, I let my feet start to carry me forward, filled with every intent of leaving the room; but just as I reached out for the door handle, a flash of movement caught my eye.

I gasped sharply.

Spinning around, I was half-expecting to see Ramsley standing there waiting to catch me in the act of disobeying him…but I was greeted by my own startled reflection instead. All the tension eased from my shoulders as I laughed in relief and realization.

 _A mirror. Of course I'd be startled by a mirror._

My reflection and I both shook our heads at each other, amused by our own foolish nerves, but as I was about to turn away and continue on with my escape mission, the image in the mirror suddenly warped, rippling like waves across a pool of water. When it finally settled, I stepped back in alarm, my lips parting in shock as I stared at the new image in front of me.

It was me. I think. But also, not me. Instead of the floral-print dress I was currently wearing, my reflection was now clothed in a dazzling golden ballgown that looked like something out of the nineteenth century; her dark hair was curled and piled high atop her head, and her face was dusted with rouge. Yet, aside from her change in appearance, she was clearly still a reflection of me. When I stepped back, so did she. When I waved my arm experimentally in the air, she did the same. Even our expressions were the same; she looked as surprised about her change of wardrobe as I was.

BOOM!

A scream leapt from my throat as a particularly deafening crack of thunder shook the house, and I put a hand to my head in exasperation.

"Damn it, Monsieur Thunder." I muttered to myself.

When I looked back in the mirror, my reflection had returned to normal.

My mind was made up. I needed to find Mr. Gracey.

Wasting no more time on trying to decipher what it was that had occurred, I abruptly spun on my heels and strode determinedly over to the doors, unlocking them and stepping out into the deserted hallway. The last thing I wanted was to repeat my encounter with Ramsley, and so I swiftly chose a direction and began speed walking down the corridor, keeping my footsteps as light and quiet as possible in the hopes that I wouldn't alert anyone nearby.

Within minutes, my path brought me to the balcony overlooking the grand hall.

 _At least now I know where I -_

There. Footsteps. Slow, steady footsteps.

I glanced back, trying to determine if I had time to get away, and, after deciding that I had, hurriedly observed the space below me for a place to take refuge, which presented itself in the form of an open doorway at the bottom of the right staircase. Without delay, I ran down the steps and slipped inside, wrenching the curtains closed behind me. The only sound I could focus on was my own heart beating traitorously in my ears as I listened for any sign that I'd been discovered, and, in fact, was so preoccupied by this task that I failed to realize that there was already someone in the room, now watching me interestedly.

"Ms. Hartford?"

"Oh!" I squeaked.

The unexpected voice made me turn in surprise, stumbling over a stack of books as I did so. Two strong hands steadied me by my waist and I felt a fire in both my cheeks and my stomach as I looked up and met Mr. Gracey's gaze.

"Mr. Gracey." I breathed, unable to keep the smile off my face.

"Are you alright, Ms. Hartford?" He smirked.

"Yes, I just – Oh! The books!"

I stepped out of his grasp (though I instantly regretted it) and stooped down to pick up the books I'd stumbled over. Mr. Gracey joined me.

"Here. Let me help you with those." He offered. "Ramsley hates it when I leave things lying about."

"Yes, he does seem a bit…strict." I noted.

Mr. Gracey chuckled and the sound of his laughter was music to my ears.

"He strikes most people that way. Once you get to know him, though, you'll find that's not the case. He's really…"

As he reached out to take the books from my hands, our fingers brushed, and we both froze at the spark that passed between us. Our eyes locked, and in Mr. Gracey's face I could see the same gentle, yet pleading expression he'd worn upon our first meeting, as though he was searching for something within me that was no longer there. I didn't know what to make of it, nor the tidal wave of emotions that washed over me when he was near.

The spell was broken when Mr. Gracey stepped back, looking shaken.

"…He's really very sweet. Thank you."

He slipped back into his gentlemanly persona.

"He's been like a father to me." He explained as he placed the books on a desk.

"Really?"

I hadn't meant for the question to come out at all, much less in the incredulous way that I'd just said it. Mr. Gracey turned to me with an eyebrow raised.

"It's that difficult to imagine?" He asked.

"No! I mean – it's just…well, I don't think he likes me very much."

His curiosity piqued, Mr. Gracey gestured for me to continue. I took a deep breath.

"Earlier this evening, I was going to try to find you, but I ran into Ramsley instead and he told me that you'd gone to bed and that I shouldn't disturb you. I was actually just hiding from him when I bumped into you." I explained sheepishly, my eyes fixated on the ground.

"You came looking for me?"

The hopeful tone in his voice made me look up, and I blushed to see him looking quite pleased.

"Yes." I murmured. "Mr. Gracey…can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course. Anything." He said, with so much conviction I believed he would tell me his darkest secrets if I asked.

I pondered the best way to phrase my question.

"This house…it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It's been in your family for generations, and it's your home. Why do you want to sell it?"

Such a wounded expression came over his features that I regretted asking immediately, feeling his grief as if it were my own. Nonetheless, he answered.

"These walls are filled with so many memories. Some of them… _painful_."

He must have seen the questioning look on my face, for his gaze softened as he approached.

"I think for you to understand, I really must show you."

My heart flew to my throat as he came to my side and offered me his arm, and I hesitated, almost afraid to touch him.

"It's alright." His soothing voice assured me. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

These words made his eyes seem to harden for a moment, but as I looked up at the man who'd been able to capture my attention completely in a matter of seconds and I felt the same overwhelming sensation in my chest drawing me closer and closer to him, I decided to let all of my caution go to the wind and accepted his offer, gently grasping onto his arm. He smiled at me, and I smiled bashfully in return as he pulled me forward to walk beside him.

"Although it might be a bit worn and faded from its original grandeur, this house was once filled with so many things. So much life. With grand parties, dancing, laughter, and above all…hope. Being a Gracey meant that you were denied nothing. The world was yours."

I listened in wonder to the reverence and passion in his voice.

"What happened here, Mr. Gracey?"

Despair came to his eyes as he abruptly stopped and looked deeply into mine, once again searching desperately.

"She did."

"Who?"

"Elizabeth."

The name hit me with such force that I would have staggered had I not been gripping onto him, and my reaction appeared to encourage Mr. Gracey to go on as he stared at me intensely.

"Hers is the story that haunts these walls."

XXXXX

Up a steep set of stairs, Megan and Michael followed the ghost balls, who, through the use of an old (and in Michael's opinion, highly insecure) lift, had led the two children into the uppermost levels of Gracey Manor. When they reached the top of the landing, the luminescent orbs disappeared behind a door, and Megan slowly reached out to push it open.

The room that was revealed must have been the attic of the house, for it was crammed full of oddities and items that clearly belonged to an earlier century, in the midst of which the ghost balls were hovering, waiting for them to continue. Indeed, Michael and Megan had barely stepped inside the doorway when their glowing guides began to float deeper into the room, weaving in and out of the many antiques which occupied it, and leading their pursuers closer and closer to the secret that the mansion had tried so hard to keep locked away.

It was less than a minute later when the ghost balls suddenly stopped, vanishing into thin air as suddenly as they'd appeared. But by this point, the children's' attention had been diverted elsewhere. Megan - who was truly a romantic at heart – had been drawn towards a mannequin off to the side of the room, which wouldn't have been that remarkable had it not been for the stunning gown that it had been clothed in. It's white color and the sheer elegance of its design allowed her to deduce that it was a wedding dress, which made the fact that it was shrouded in black all the more tragic. And what Michael had discovered would soon tell them the reason why.

"Megan!" He called urgently for his sister.

She came to him, and they both stared in confusion and astonishment at the portrait in front of them – a portrait whose subject was far too familiar.

"Emmy?" Megan wondered aloud, confirming what they were both thinking.

The painting's existence made little sense, but neither of them could deny that the woman inside it bore a striking resemblance to their nanny, from the gentle smirk on her features to the warmth of her dark brown eyes. However, their pondering was interrupted by a disgruntled voice behind them.

"What are you doing here?"

Both of them spun around and were faced with a short, gray-haired, balding man, who glared at them like they intruding on something private.

"You're not supposed to be up here. This is unspeakable, unspeakable!" He declared. "You have to leave!"

"Who is that?" Megan pressed him, unfazed by his demands.

"That's none of your business, that's who! Now, come on, get out of here! It's way past your bedtime." He spoke in a demeaning tone.

"Her name was Elizabeth."

All three of them turned to see a brown-haired, anxious-looking woman standing behind the old man, a tray of cookies balanced in her hands.

"Are you kids hungry? Does anybody want a cookie?" She came forward and offered to Megan and Michael, who both accepted the treat eagerly.

The old man, on the other hand, gaped at her in disbelief.

"Cookies?! Don't offer them cookies! They're trespassers! Trespassers don't get cookies! This is none of their concern!" He insisted.

"It is their concern, they're _involved_!" The woman snapped at him.

"Involved in what?" Megan asked, quite tired of being left out of the loop.

The woman looked at her, almost apologetically, as she handed the tray of cookies off to the old man and began to step back towards an open space within the tower of the room.

"Well, for starters…"

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be doing that!" The old man scolded her.

But before he could stop her, the woman took on the same blue hue that the ghost balls possessed and rose up into the air, flying briefly around the tower before lowering herself back to the ground to face a petrified and incredulous Michael and Megan.

"You're a…you're a…" Michael stammered, convinced once and for all that it had been a bad idea to stay the night here.

"Ghost? It's okay, you can say it." The woman grimaced, looking just as upset about that fact as they were.

"This is great." The old man muttered. "He's not gonna be happy about any of this, and I'm not gonna be the one to tell him! Do you understand the ramifications of this? We have to stay in line!"

"We all want to break the curse, don't we?" She argued with him.

"Yes, but leave it up to the master!"

He turned towards the children.

"Just remember this, sonny, when you get married someday. Til death do you part? I wish! You never part!"

"So, you're both dead?" Megan said it as confirmation more than a question.

The woman nodded.

"It's been a hundred and twenty-two years since the black spell fell over this house. A hundred and twenty-two years since…she died."

She walked past Megan and Michael and over to the portrait, staring at the figure inside with sorrow splayed across her face.

"She looks just like Emilia." Megan told her.

"Yes…and we believe they're one in the same."

"You mean _you_ believe they're one and the same." The old man grumbled.

His words made her eyes spark with indignation as she stared at him.

"Ezra, she looked _right_ at me! And she recognized me! I know it! It has to be her!" The woman swore.

"But we can't be certain, Emma!" He pushed back.

"You didn't see what I saw!"

Their two young companions watched them with increasing curiosity, until, finally, the little patience that Megan possessed ran out.

"Who was she?" She demanded to know.

Startled out of their bickering, Emma and Ezra looked at the two children in front of them with a mixture of hesitance to reveal something so painful and a yearning to be able to share their story with someone for the first time since their deaths. Emma spoke first.

"She was our friend…more than that. We loved her." She whispered, her eyes wet with tears.

Ezra made a quiet grunt of protest at her getting so emotional, and she whipped her head around to glare at him.

"Oh, you loved her too, you insensitive toad!" She yelled at him.

"Well, I - ! I…I respected her, certainly!" He stammered, trying to maintain his composure as he thought of the girl whom he'd treated like a daughter. "She was an interesting conversationalist! She had a certain wit, yes! An…an unspoken charm…."

Sensing that he was close to tears, he hurriedly turned away from the others and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his eyes with it and then taking a moment to regain control before turning back to his wife and the children with as much energy as he could muster.

"But there's no need to get sentimental! If she _is_ back – and I'm not saying she is – but if it really is her, then the curse will be broken! You see! It all works out in the end! Sometimes, you just have to – "

A loud creak echoed through the room. The two ghosts froze in terror, knowing what the sound signalized, and swiftly gestured for Michael and Megan to get down.

"Hide! _Hide!_ " Emma ordered.

The children ran over to the table behind them and ducked underneath it as Emma and Ezra moved to stand at attention in front of them, barely making it to their positions before the menacing figure of Ramsley appeared, stalking deliberately towards them.

"The children are not in their rooms." He announced stiffly. "Have you seen them?"

"Children? What children?" Emma played dumb, though not very convincingly judging by the look the butler gave her.

"What children?" He repeated.

His eyes moved over to the tray of cookies that sat on the table and he lifted it, holding it up in front of them and staring them down suspiciously.

" _Her_ children. The children she wasn't supposed to bring, along with that brainless husband of hers and that impudent student!"

The two servants looked at the tray and uncertainly reached out to take a cookie from it, but the unamused glare that Ramsley gave them made it clear that that wasn't why he was holding it up to them, and Emma held out her arms to take the tray back.

"If I had to listen to one more word from that insufferable fool, I think I would have burst." Ramsley growled.

"Of course, sir. What a fool!" Ezra played along and Emma nodded her head dutifully in agreement.

"And then that girl…she's changed everything."

Emma and Ezra exchanged a brief but hopeful glance with each other, wondering if his remark meant what they thought it did.

"Do you mean…?" Emma started hesitantly.

"The master has altered the plan. He believes that _she_ is the one he's been waiting for." He hissed, obviously displeased with this turn of events.

For the two people in front of him, however, it was too good to be true. For if Edward Gracey - who knew Elizabeth better than anyone - truly believed that Emilia was her reincarnation, then it almost certainly had to be so.

"Never mind that." Ramsley barked at them. "If you find the children, bring them to me."

"Certainly, sir." Ezra bowed his head and Emma curtsied.

"The final arrangements have been made. Nothing further will interfere with the master's plan."

And with that, the butler turned and made his exit from the room, disappearing in a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning.

He had his own plans to make.

XXXXX

 **Oh, boy. Ramsley's definitely up to something. Fret not, though, my readers, I have heard your pleas, and I promise that he will get what's coming to him in the end.**

 **Thank you for being so wonderful! Now go out there and keep being your fantastic selves!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	6. Just An Author's Note

**Hello readers! I am TERRIBLY sorry, because I know you all thought this was a new chapter, but I just wanted to let you know that there will be a few days delay before the story continues as I'm getting ready to move into a new apartment for the fall and I have a relative coming to stay with me. Thank you so much for your patience and continued support! I'm going to go and hide in a cave now…**

 _ **Elactress**_


	7. A Curse and a Tragedy

**Hello again, my readers! I am SO SO SORRY about the long wait! The past couple weeks have been extremely busy between seeing my family and moving into a new place, so thanks for sticking with me! Special thanks to Cindrelia, grapejuice101, nicolej2912, and halflings for following/favoriting this story, and to Lady Ravanna, CCangel, withloveee, Sonia Pantoja, and AlleyCAT19 for your reviews!**

 **Now, many of you might be disgruntled that so much of the first part of this story takes you through the scenes from the movie, but all Edward is really doing right now is telling Emilia the events that most of you know from Before the Haunting Hour, and the Evers family have a lot more that they have to do to figure out whodunit. I PROMISE you that there's a ton of Edward/Emilia/Elizabeth goodness coming to you, but we have to get through the events of the movie to get there.**

 **Patience, young grasshoppers!**

 **Disclaimer: The Haunted Mansion and its characters belong to Disney, not me.**

XXXXX

With his hand securely holding my grip on his arm, Mr. Gracey guided me down the rest of the conservatory steps and into a long hallway, one wall of which was made up of windows that all shook with the force of the raging storm outside, and made me a little more than nervous. I very discreetly pulled myself closer to my companion, and if I'd been paying more attention I would have noticed a tiny smirk cross his lips.

"So," I began, trying to keep myself distracted with conversation, "who was she, Mr. Gracey?"

A thoughtful expression came over him.

"Most people would have called her a servant…but she was so much more than that. Elizabeth was the only daughter of a man named William Henshaw, whose family owned the plantation where her mother was a slave. When William ran away to be with her, he gave up all claim to his inheritance, so, when she then died only a few years later, he was left to raise Elizabeth on his own and in near poverty."

"That's terrible!" I lamented. "He was willing to give up so much for her."

Mr. Gracey's eyes abruptly flickered to mine, and I was unsettled by the hurt that was splayed across his features. But he seemed to catch himself, for he gave a small shake of his head and continued.

"For a time, the two of them were happy just to have each other. But fate decided to change their course. You see, back during the war, William had become good friends with a man named George Gracey – who happens to have been my great grandfather. They hadn't seen each other in years, but when George passed away in 1869, he left behind not only his wife, but his son as well…Edward."

He glanced down at me expectantly. Panic struck me as I tried to figure out what the right response was, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was a curious:

"Oh?"

A momentary look of disappointment flashed across his face, but he chuckled good-heartedly and went on.

"Anyways, William felt that it was his duty to try and help the Gracey family as best he could, and so he offered his services to Lady Gracey as a groundskeeper for the manor, and she accepted. What she didn't realize was that he was bringing Elizabeth along with him. You can imagine her surprise when he showed up on the doorstep with a mixed-race child behind him." He described, somewhat sardonically.

"Was she…" I trailed off, unsure how to pose the question.

"Racist?" He finished for me.

I avoided his gaze, worried that I'd offended him by suggesting such a thing about his ancestors, but he responded without hesitation.

"Undoubtedly. But even that would have been less of a burden to her if it hadn't been for the fact that Edward and Elizabeth almost immediately formed a strong attachment to each other."

As he spoke these words, his voice grew quiet, as though he were reliving the experience for himself.

"…They fell for each other." I deduced.

He was silent for a few seconds, no doubt lost deep in thought; then his eyes looked to me once more, scanning carefully over my face as if trying to memorize every inch of it, as if I would vanish in front of him at any moment. It felt…strangely intimate.

"Yes." He finally confirmed. "They fell for each other."

His hand fell from mine and I reluctantly let him pull himself from my grasp, watching intently as he moved to the window and stared wistfully at the storm outside.

"They were with each other always. Every minute, every _second_ that they could spend together was precious, and they treated it as such. Playing games, telling secrets…growing to know each other as no one else could. She was everything to him."

There it was again. In his eyes, I could see a heart-wrenching sorrow begin to overpower the happiness that such memories should have held, and I began to wonder – to my dismay - if my presence had something to do with it. My mind wandered back to our first meeting and the way his confident demeanor had been so abruptly broken when he caught sight of me.

 _But what did I do?_

I couldn't find any fault in my actions throughout the evening, yet nor could I stop the heavy guilt that came over me as I took in how rigid and agitated he'd become since leaving my side. With his back to me he…he looked like a different man.

"Mr. Gracey," I stepped towards him cautiously. "if I've – "

"Don't!" He snapped, putting his hand up to stop me.

I flinched back in shock.

A tense minute of silence passed between us before Mr. Gracey released a mournful sigh and turned to me, remorse written across his features.

"Please, forgive me, Ms. Hartford. I didn't mean to frighten you. But this story, as you may have guessed, does not have a happy ending. Might I continue?"

I stared at him, stunned, for several seconds, trying to determine what had come over him. Was I truly to blame for his behavior? And if so, then why had he been so kind to me for the entire night? Surely, if I'd offended him somehow, he wouldn't be so intent on telling me his story…would he? There was only one way to find out what was going on here, and I'd come too close to give up now.

"Of course, Mr. Gracey." I assured him, putting my mind at ease.

He gave me a small thankful smile and slowly approached to once again offer his arm, which I eagerly accepted. Thus, we continued on our journey.

XXXXX

In the upper floors of the mansion, Jim and Sara emerged from a portrait and stepped cautiously out into the hallway before them, taking in their unfamiliar surroundings with a mix of trepidation and interest.

"I don't like this, Jim." Sara muttered warningly as a flash of lightning lit up the wall.

"Well, there's no going back now." He reasoned, grabbing ahold of a large candelabra to lead the way. "We'll just think of it as a self-guided tour."

Thunder rumbled ominously, and the two of them shared a nervous glance before slowly creeping forward, bracing themselves for whatever was lurking around the corner up ahead.

"Hi!" Jim called. "Is anyone home?"

As they passed by several portraits, Sara happened to catch movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head in horror to witness the pictures changing right in front of her; a lounging woman took on a tiger-like appearance, a charging general and his horse became decaying skeletons, and as she and Jim neared the end of the hall, she could swear that she saw the two busts at the end watching them through narrowed eyes. Suddenly, her anger at her husband was the least of her worries. She hurried forward to wrap her arm around his, much to his surprise and delight.

But the comfort that they received from each other was brief as they caught sight of the door that now awaited them.

It was breathing.

The wood creaked and groaned as it expanded and retracted in a nearly grotesque manner, and both Sara and Jim immediately came to the same conclusion: it was their only way out. Uneasily, they started towards it.

"…Those must be termites." Jim attempted to explain.

"Termites?" Sara gawked at him disbelievingly.

"Some big-ass termites. That's all." He mumbled.

Neither one of them truly believed that was the cause of the breathing, but the other possibilities were the last thing they wanted to consider in their current predicament. When they reached the door, they stopped and looked at each other.

"Uh, honey, why don't you take the lead? You know, get better view of everything, and I'll make sure nothing gets you from behind." Jim suggested.

"Right." She glared at him, then, with a roll of her eyes, stepped forward and quickly grabbed the door handle, pushing it open.

 _Brrrriiiiiing. Brrrriiiiiing._

It was nearly pitch black, but in the center of the room beyond they could make out a tall mirror and a table, on which an old phone was currently ringing.

"Maybe Mr. Gracey is looking for us. I'm sure he's figured out what happened." Sara suggested, attempting to appear more certain than she actually was.

With that possibility driving her forward, she led the way inside, swiftly walking over to the phone and picking it up off of the receiver.

"Hello?" She answered, while Jim went curiously to the mirror and began straightening his tie.

Silence greeted her on the other end.

"Hello?" She asked again. "Mr. Gracey? Ramsley?"

For a second, she swore she heard a click on the other end, as if someone had just hung up on her.

"Huh. No answer." She frowned.

"AHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHH!"

Jim's hollering made her drop the phone in terror just as everything went dark, and she reached her hands out desperately to find him, to make sure that he wasn't hurt.

"Jim!" She screamed.

 _Oh god, if something happened to him - !_

Her hand met his shoulder as he lifted the fallen candelabra back up, revealing his panic-stricken face.

"Jim! Jim, what's wrong? Are you alright? What happened?" She demanded, turning him towards her and checking him over for any injuries.

"I just got turned into the green Freddy Krueger, that's what happened!" He burst out.

"What?" She tried to make sense of his words.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He urged her.

He gripped her hand tightly and pulled her over towards the other side of the nightmarish room in an attempt to find a door, and they were both relieved when his hand came in contact with a rusted knob. When the door pushed open to reveal another hallway, they had no hesitancy in walking down it as quickly as they could.

As soon as they were far enough away for comfort, they stopped and both leaned against the wall, breathing heavily and trying to make sense of the bizarre things that had just happened to them.

"What is this place?" Sara questioned aloud.

"I don't know, but something tells me it might be a little harder to sell than we originally thought." Jim decided.

Sara scoffed.

"What?" He looked at her.

"After everything that just happened, work is still the only thing you can think about." She reproached him, crossing her arms.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry, I just thought that selling this place had something to do with the reason we're here." He shot back at her.

"The reason we're here is because you couldn't stop focusing on your job for two minutes so we could - !"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Jim suddenly shushed her, putting a finger up.

There was a moment of complete silence.

"What is it?" Sara whispered.

"Shhh!" Jim was frozen in place. "Do you hear that?"

At first, Sara couldn't hear anything, but just as she was about to open her mouth and tell him so, a faint sound reached her ears: a voice. The words were inaudible, but there was definitely someone nearby.

"This way." Jim gestured to her, holding his hand out.

She didn't take it, much to his chagrin, but the two of them walked side by side down the hallway in the direction of the mysterious voice, which, as they drew closer, clearly became that of a woman, who was speaking in strange monotone chanting of some kind.

The chanting became louder as they came through an archway, and at the end of the hall they could see a doorway that was filled with green light.

"Thank god we heard your voice!" Jim shouted. "Hey listen, we need some help gettin' – we've lost our way! We don't know how to get out of here!"

As Jim continued rambling, Sara noticed, to her sudden apprehension, that the voice hadn't stopped speaking.

"I'm sorry if I sound a little frazzled, but…we just had ourselves a little freakshow back there!" Jim's voice cracked, revealing his anxiety. "We were supposed to meet with Mr. Gracey but we got stuck in the wall!"

He and Sara stepped into the room, expecting to see the source of the voice, and so they were caught off guard when they found it empty instead, save for the glowing crystal ball that sat on the table in front of them and was filled with an odd green smoke that managed to light up the entire room, casting their faces in a sickly color.

" _Goblin and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine!"_ The voice summoned.

"Okay, I hear you, but I don't see you. Where are you?" Jim looked around confusedly.

" _I am Madame Leota."_

A shift within the crystal ball made Jim and Sara look down, and they both went pale. From out of the green smoke, a face appeared, staring up at them through dark, piercing eyes.

" _Seer of all. Voice to the spirits. Whom do you seek?"_

While Sara lingered in the doorway, Jim leaned down like a child at the zoo, peering back at the gypsy woman gleefully. In fact, their attention was so focused on her that they didn't notice the two chairs zooming up behind them until Sara let out a loud cry and they both found themselves trapped up against the table.

"Hey!" Sara objected.

"Hey! Let us out of here!" Jim demanded.

" _Silence! Whom do you seek?"_ Madame Leota questioned them forcefully.

"We are seeking a way out of here!" Jim told her.

" _Then you must look within."_

"I don't want to look within, I want to look without. Are you deaf?"

" _There is great evil in this house."_ Madame Leota cautioned them. _"A devil's curse. It seeks to destroy you."_

"Why would something seek to destroy us?" Sara - who was paying much more attention - implored her, suddenly very worried to be so far from her children.

"Look, we're just here to sell the house, okay?" Jim told her flippantly.

His wife stared at him, baffled by his failure to comprehend what the strange woman was trying to tell them. They were all in danger. As if to prove this point, Madame Leota closed her eyes and started chanting once again, foreboding words that sent a shiver up Sara's spine.

" _Dark spirits from the grave come forth. Lift us from the black and show us. Show us the way back."_

"Dark spirits?" Now Jim's eyes were open. "Hey, no dark spirits! Don't you make no dark spirits come out!"

The gypsy woman ignored him.

" _Lift us! Lift us up to the light! And lead us through this stormy night!"_

As she spoke, Sara and Jim felt their feet rise from the floor as the table and chairs all lifted into the air, and Sara instinctually clutched onto Jim's hand.

"Jim!" She squeaked.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Jim protested as the entire room began to spin around them chaotically. "We'd really like to stay on the ground! We'd rather stay on the ground! Can we stay on the ground, please?!"

A cacophony of music played loudly in their ears as several instruments danced around them, almost drowning out the gypsy's next words.

" _Evil and darkness have fallen this night. But now to survive you must gain new sight."_

"I must first gain new underwear!" Jim joked uncertainly.

Sara listened keenly to everything Madame Leota said.

" _Only the light will lead the way! Follow it and find your way home!"_

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home!" Jim clenched his eyes shut.

" _Go Mr. and Mrs. Evers! Your family is at stake! Your very lives are at stake! Break the curse! There is no escape for you unless you lift this spell! Go! Save yourselves! Save your family! Release her! Release us all!"_

"I'm getting so queasy! I'm getting very queasy!"

While Jim was practically paralyzed with fear, Sara became focused on what had been revealed to them. A curse. There was a curse on this place. That's why so many bizarre things were happening. But how were they supposed to break it? And…who was the _her_ that Madame Leota was talking about?

These thoughts tormented her as they spun in nauseating circles around the room and the gypsy began to laugh maniacally, obviously taking pleasure in Jim's distress. Then, all at once, they came to a halt midair. The two seconds they hung there was enough for Jim and Sara to glance at each other in dread, and then they went crashing to the floor, hitting the ground with a loud bang that was sure to leave bruises in unpleasant places.

Jim was out of his chair almost instantly, grabbing hold of Sara's hand to drag her from the room. As soon as they were out the door, however, they heard the dissonant blast of a trumpet behind them and peeked backwards to see that they were being chased by the instruments that had been flying around them before. They ran down hallway, trying to escape their pursuers to little avail. At one point, Jim yanked Sara into an alcove and they pressed against the wall as the instruments zoomed past, but as Jim peered out to see if the coast was clear, he was sent soaring through the air by a large drum right to his face, and he hit the floor in a backwards somersault.

"Jim!" Sara cried, going to his side.

The instruments were upon them at once, and Sara hoisted Jim up to his feet to take off running again.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally came across a door which they instantly slammed shut behind them, both pressing firmly against it as they listened to the instruments bang and crash against the other side.

"Mom!"

"Dad!"

Never had Sara been so relieved to hear her children's voices. She and Jim looked up and saw Megan and Michael standing at the top of the staircase with two unfamiliar people, no doubt Mr. Gracey's servants.

"Michael! Megan! Are you okay?" She beseeched them.

"We're fine, mom." Megan promised her.

"Alright, get your things, let's get out of here, let's go!" Jim directed.

"But dad, we have a problem!" Megan tried to explain.

"What, because of the rain? We're just gonna get a little wet. Let's just find Emilia, and let's get out of here! Let's go!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible! She can't leave!" The older man behind them said.

A realization dawned on Sara at his words, but Jim placed his hands challengingly on his waist.

"And why not?"

"Because she can't!"

The voice behind them made Jim and Sara both jump and whirl around, only to come face to face with the man who less than a second ago had been at the top of the stairs.

"Woah!" Jim stared at him, boggled.

"If I could tell you, I would, but I can't so I won't, okay?" The man defended.

"Hey, how'd you…?"

Jim and Sara looked back towards the top of the steps and then back at the man, who shrugged as if there was nothing unusual about it.

"Hey, hey, look, come on." Jim gestured to Michael and Megan. "Daddy's having more hallucinations, let's go. Right now, let's go."

"They're ghosts, dad." Megan insisted.

All of Sara's suspicions were confirmed by her daughter's words.

"The curse. That's what she was talking about, Jim! They're trapped!" She determined excitedly, proud to have figured it out.

"They're not ghosts." Jim still wasn't listening. "We're just having hallucinations from that dinner that we ate. It was that chicken! It didn't taste right!"

"HEY!"

The woman that stood with the children at the top of the steps dematerialized and reappeared before him in an instant, shouting indignantly.

"Oh!" Jim and Sara both jolted in surprise.

"It's not the chicken!" The woman declared adamantly.

"Alright, it's not the chicken, it's not the chicken! But we're still getting out of here!" Jim instructed.

"But dad! We have to help them!" Megan pleaded.

She and Michael rushed down the stairs and into Sara's waiting arms at the bottom and she hugged them both close, resolute not to let them out of her sight for the rest of the night.

"Hey, you can't help the dead, honey. They're beyond help. That's the nature of being dead." Jim said.

"The man's talking sense!" The older man agreed. "Everyone should just keep their noses in their own business."

"But dad, we have to help them break the curse!" Megan pressed him.

"Why is everybody talking about a curse?! Hey, wait a minute, have you been talking to that crazy green gypsy in the giant paperweight?"

"Gypsy! He found the gypsy!" The ghost woman exclaimed. "We've got to go back and see her."

She turned and opened the door, ushering Sara and the children through it.

"No, back?! I'm not going back!" Jim looked at them incredulously.

"But dad!" Megan begged.

"Hey, they had me floating all around the room!"

"Dad!"

"Hey, I was strapped to a chair, floating around the room with a marching band chasing me! I'm not going back anywhere! Forget it, Casper!"

"But Emmy's in trouble!" Michael spoke up.

This statement finally made Jim pause. He looked at Sara, who had an equally concerned expression on her face, and then back at his son.

"What kind of trouble?"

The two children grabbed onto their parents' hands and led them back up the stairs into an attic room, guiding them around the multiple, carefully balanced piles of furniture before stopping in front of a large painting, with a figure that Jim and Sara could easily recognize.

"Oh, Jim." Sara breathed.

It was Emilia.

XXXXX

Mr. Gracey and I climbed up a set of stairs into the innermost part of the mansion, very near to the bedrooms that the Evers and I had been brought to. Unfortunately, just as we reached the top step, a resounding crack of thunder reverberated through the walls, and a shriek forced its way out of my mouth as I clung to his arm in a way that was far too zealous for me to hold someone that I barely even knew.

"Are you alright, Ms. Hartford?" Mr. Gracey gripped my shoulder to right me, thankfully showing more worry than discomfort at the way I'd acted.

"Yes, I'm fine." I assured him, my cheeks hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. It's a silly little fear that I have. It's much better than it was when I was younger, but it's still there."

"I know what you mean." He chuckled.

His hand slid from my shoulder to return to its position over my own hand on his arm and I was hit with a pang of loss at the absence of his touch in a place so close to my lip-

 _Woah! Woah, woah, woah, slow down, Emilia! Waaaaaaay too early for that kind of thinking!_ I berated myself firmly.

Mortified by my own wild fantasies, I discreetly shook my head to try and push the idea back into the recesses of my mind, but couldn't resist peeking up at the man beside me with a tiny smile as he took us further down the corridor.

"Thunder storms are quite common here at Gracey Manor." Mr. Gracey spoke. "When I was younger, my father used to come into my room, and he and I would pretend that the thunder and lightning were arguing with each other. Then it didn't seem so frightening anymore."

"You're joking." I gaped at him.

"It does sound a bit ridiculous, doesn't it?" He grinned.

"No, no, it's not that!" I told him. "It's just so funny to hear you say that because I do exactly the same thing."

I'd expected him to laugh at the unexpected similarity between us, so when he instead came to an immediate stop, I nearly stumbled forward. Bewildered, I looked up at him to ask what was wrong, only to find him already staring at me with an expression of absolute astonishment, as though I'd just sprouted wings and flown three times around the room.

"What is it?" I inquired; glad, at least, that he didn't look sad.

"I…" He opened and closed his mouth several times, like he was searching for a way to explain the unexplainable.

"I never expected to see you speechless, Mr. Gracey." I teased him lightly.

He smiled half-heartedly.

"I apologize yet again. Your answer…surprised me, is all."

"Well, you can consider that and a love for this mansion two things that we have in common." I smirked. "Now then, I believe we were going somewhere."

My prompting made his eyes light up in remembrance.

"Yes. There's something I'd like to show you." He replied.

We walked on only a little ways further before he brought me over to a set of doors, releasing my hand so that he could step forward and push them open, then, once he'd done so, he returned to my side, placing his hand on the small of my back (much to my enjoyment) and directing me gently inside.

The room that we stepped into had clearly belonged to someone much smaller than either of us. On one wall, several glass cases stood displaying rows upon rows of antique dolls and other little toys, and on the other, two beautiful wooden rocking horses sat, lonely with disuse. Over by the window was a small table with three little chairs, which I leisurely made my way over to. Mr. Gracey followed close behind.

"This used to be the nursery." He revealed. "First for my grandfather, then later for his cousins and Elizabeth."

"Oh, he had cousins living here?" I remarked, mindlessly tracing the back of one of the chairs.

He nodded, watching me pensively.

"Aggie and Jamie. Elizabeth was their age when she arrived here, so they became good friends to her. Much of their time was spent in this room during their childhood years." He described.

"What happened to them?" I enquired.

"They each had families. Aggie spent most of her life in France with her husband and their son, and Jamie and her husband settled in New York, with a son and three daughters."

"They must have come here often, though." I assumed.

Mr. Gracey's grim expression quickly told me otherwise.

"No. No one could bear this place after…"

He faltered for a moment.

"…after that night."

All of my attention was on him as he turned his gaze outside to the endless graveyard that stretched out miles beyond the house, and something told me I knew how his story was about to end.

"She died here. In this house." He whispered.

His eyes moved to me, and I was overcome by the longing within them.

"She was so very young. So very beautiful. And very much in love with the heir to this mansion."

"Your grandfather." I spoke.

"And he loved her…more than _life_ itself."

With every word, he stepped closer to me, and with every step, my heartbeat grew louder in my ears, until, at last, he stood towering over me. I couldn't look away. It was as if I was drowning in him, unable to breathe, and yet, completely happy to remain where I was. But, as soon as the moment had begun, it was over.

He stepped away from me, and I stumbled back a step, nearly gasping for air as he returned to where he'd been standing by the window.

"But they were from different worlds, and couldn't be together."

"How did she die, Mr. Gracey?" The question was out before I even realized I'd asked it.

It took him a long time to answer, and when he did, he spoke softly and lowly, as if speaking any louder would break him.

"She took her own life. Poison."

An incontrollable gasp escaped me, not out of distress at the terrible revelation, but at the frantic voice that began to screech out in my head, begging to be heard.

 _NO! NO! You know that's not right!_

"After that, his life became unbearable."

 _It's not true!_

"And so, without hope, without love…without Elizabeth…"

 _He has to know the truth!_

"…he hung himself."

"OH!" A gut-wrenching cry tore from my lips.

Mr. Gracey's head snapped towards me, and I felt my heart plummet to my feet like lead as I slapped my hands over my mouth, stunned by the utter despair and hopelessness that I saw in a face that had once been filled with nothing but kindness and warmth.

The strength of my reaction frightened me, but it was Mr. Gracey's response that made me legitimately question if all of this really _was_ some unusual dream that I'd conjured from the deepest depths of my imagination.

Slowly…purposefully…he began to stride towards me, and I watched him with wide, uncertain eyes.

"His soul wanders these halls, waiting for her to return."

My back hit against the window pane, and still, he came closer.

"If you listen carefully…"

His hands gripped my wrists, and I swore I could feel his breath on my lips as he placed my palms directly against his chest.

"…you can still hear the beating of his broken heart."

XXXXX

 **Oh my word, this chapter gave me trouble. As an apology for how long it took to post this, I shall attempt to get another chapter up TOMORROW. Until then, dears!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	8. The Realm of the Dead

**Welp, I said I'd try to have a new chapter up yesterday, so I'm a little bit late, but here it is! I'm extremely happy that you enjoyed the last chapter, and I thank HyacinthQueen13, CCangel, and Everlane for your reviews! Now onwards, my readers!**

 **Disclaimer: I'd like to say I have the rights to the Haunted Mansion, but unfortunately, I'd be lying.**

XXXXX

The image of Emilia and Mr. Gracey faded away into the green smoke of the crystal ball and Madame Leota's smug face replaced them; leaving Emma, Ezra, and the Evers to stare blankly back at her, dumfounded by the scene they had witnessed.

"Alright, wait a minute, hold on a second." Jim frowned. "Now, you're telling me this guy is dead, and the only reason we were brought here is 'cuz he wants to try to get jiggy with Emmy?"

"Pretty much. Are you upset?" Ezra smirked at him.

"The guy is dead, and he's trying to get with our nanny! And the house isn't really for sale? Yes, I'm upset!"

He paced irritably over to the other side of the table as Emma stepped forward and bent down to plead with the gypsy.

"Oh, Madame Leota, is it her?" She entreated. "Is she truly our dear, departed Elizabeth come back to us?"

Part of her was afraid to even ask the question, it seemed too good to be true; but if there was any chance that the girl in the mansion was the same girl she and Ezra had raised so long ago, then she would assist the Evers in any way possible to try and get her back, even if it meant disobeying the orders of a certain butler. Both she and Ezra held their breath as they waited for an answer.

" _It is true. She walks these halls."_ Madame Leota divulged to them.

Emma's eyes welled with joyful tears and Ezra's breath hitched in exhilaration at the news that the day they'd been waiting so long for had come.

"You see, I told you, it is her!" Ezra proclaimed.

" _But, do not be deceived."_ The gypsy woman warned them. _"All things are not as they appear."_

Everyone moved in just a little closer to the table, all now fully invested in the fate of their mutual friend.

" _For the curse to be lifted, the truth must be known. And for the truth to be known, you must find the key."_

"Hey, what are you talking about, ball lady? What key?" Jim asked.

"Does it matter?" Sara turned to him. "Emilia is in danger, Jim. No matter what, we have to find it."

"I just think we should see what we're getting into first!" He reasoned.

" _Enter the tomb under the great dead oak, and travel down deep, under the ground, and there you will find the key that must be found. Find the black crypt that bears no name, or soon your fate will be the same."_ Madame Leota instructed them.

"You're telling us all we have to do is find this key, then we're gonna walk out of here with Emmy and our kids, like nothing ever happened?" Jim pressed her.

" _The key is the answer to all."_ Was the vague response he received.

"Well, great! I'm in! Let's get this key!"

"There's only one problem." Megan noticed, peering up at him. "How do we get out of here?"

"Yeah, how do we get out of here?" Jim repeated her question, turning to the gypsy woman.

"Well…"

Everyone's eyes shifted to Ezra, whose face was lit up with a dangerous excitement that made the small group around him extremely nervous.

"There's always, uh… _my_ way."

XXXXX

My head was swimming with uncomfortably sensual thoughts as Mr. Gracey and I left the nursery, and I had to focus to get my heartbeat back to normal as he shut the doors behind us with a quiet click.

"I just don't understand." I murmured as he came to stand in front of me. "Why would Elizabeth kill herself?"

Mr. Gracey sighed.

"The love that she and my grandfather shared was forbidden by a clause in my great grandfather's will. If they had married, Edward would have lost his inheritance, much in the same way that Elizabeth's father lost his. She wrote that she couldn't stand the thought of leading him to that fate."

There was something about this story that didn't sit right with me.

"But, she _must_ have known how much her death would hurt him. Why would she resort to killing herself?" I pondered out loud.

"That is a question that has plagued my family for many years now. I suppose we'll never know the true answer." He said, watching me in that strange way of his.

I still wasn't satisfied to let the matter lie, but as I opened my mouth to argue my doubts to him, there was the distant sound of a door slamming. And it was followed by the treading of slow, steady footsteps.

All the blood drained from my cheeks and I subconsciously reached out to grasp Mr. Gracey's arm, earning myself a look of amusement that, at any other moment, would have set my stomach aflame.

"We have to go." I whispered urgently.

"It's alright, Ms. Hartford. It's just Ramsley." He laughed at my apparent overreaction.

"I know, and he won't like it if he finds out you're with me." I told him.

"Does he frighten you that much?"

His voice was light as he asked, and I came to the realization that he didn't understand that my fear of the butler was serious.

"Afraid so." I confessed.

"He's quite harmless, you know."

"All the same, I'd prefer not to take my chances." I silently implored him to go along with it.

Mr. Gracey chuckled again at my sheepish expression and held out his hand to me, his lips curved upwards in an irresistible smile. For a moment, I just stared at him.

"It's not going to bite, Ms. Hartford." He joked.

That's when I comprehended that he was waiting for me to place my hand in his.

The nervousness that took hold of me at the thought of doing so made me feel like I was a love-struck teenager again, and when I slid my fingers between his own, my skin tingled at the contact.

"If it means that much to you, we'll give him the slip." Mr. Gracey assured me. "Now, hold on tight."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I gripped his hand strongly in mine and we both took off running down the hallway and as far away from those impending footsteps as we could possibly get. For several minutes, we zigzagged in and out of bedrooms, barely managing to dodge the large furniture as we scurried through door after door and dashed down hallway after hallway, laughing and giggling with the abandon of two mischievous children.

" _Elizabeth!"_

Oh no. Not again.

If Mr. Gracey hadn't been holding onto my hand, I would have fallen to the floor as yet another vision formed itself in front of me.

 _An excited shriek escaped my lips as the two of us dashed down the corridor, and as we reached the top of the stairs he almost caught hold of my arm, but I slipped from his grasp and flew down the steps. My smaller size gave me an advantage as we entered the living quarters and I rapidly pulled ahead of him._

" _Elizabeth, come back here!"_

I came back to the present right as Mr. Gracey and I began to lose our breath, and we gradually slowed to a halt at the bottom of a steep stairway, somewhere in the upper regions of the house. It was almost too easy to push away the vision that I'd just received as we gazed at each other, panting like dogs and grinning like fools.

"It's been years since I've run like that." Mr. Gracey admitted.

"Same here." I laughed, my eyes taking in our surroundings as I tried to catch my breath. "Where are we?"

Mr. Gracey straightened up as he glanced around us, and my smile faded as I saw how his expression grew sober, even weary, as he recognized where we were.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, no. Of course not." He shook his head. "There's just something you should see."

He gestured for me to take the lead, and we both made our way up the stairs and through the doorway at the top.

XXXXX

"AHHHHHHH!"

The Evers family all shouted from the back of the horse-drawn hearse as Ezra and Emma - sitting at the front - drove them straight through a wall, and they went flying through the other side, hitting the ground outside Gracey Manor with a painful crash. As the carriage bumped and jerked along the path between the gravestones, Sara leaned up to yell at their now translucent drivers.

"I thought you said you could drive this thing!"

"Don't you worry, I know exactly what I'm doing!" Ezra glanced back at her, not exactly helping his case.

To make matters worse, as soon as he and Emma shifted back around, they were greeted by the sight of a thick branch aimed directly for their heads.

"AHHHHHHH!"

They both screamed as they were temporarily decapitated, bringing their hands up to their necks as their heads reformed on their shoulders, much to the revulsion of Sara and Jim and the captivation of Megan and Michael, who were having the time of their lives.

"Well, you better just keep your eyes on the road!" Jim agreed with his wife.

"Move over!" Emma scolded Ezra, trying to take the reins from his hands.

"What are you doing?" He resisted.

"If you keep driving, you'll kill us all!" She exclaimed.

"Well, that's where you're wrong!" He jeered as they continued to struggle. "Because some of us are already dead!"

At long last, he regained control over the steering, pulling back so that their skeletal horse reared up and they set off at a steadier pace.

"Dad, look." Megan nudged Jim's arm.

The family all peered out of the hearse into the night and watched in morbid fascination as several ghostly figures rode past them on large-wheeled bicycles, an image that was both eerie and enchanting at the same time.

As the hearse made its way deeper and deeper into the graveyard, the ghosts became more and more plentiful, but they hardly even noticed the passing entourage. They seemed perfectly content to go about their business, dawdling about among the stones, having tea parties in the tree tops, and fighting in eternal duels involving guns, arrows, and axes.

"Dad?" Michael prodded.

"Yes, son?"

"…I see dead people."

Sara wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"Excuse me?" She called to Emma and Ezra. "Why are these ghosts still hanging around here?"

Emma grimaced.

"When they died, they couldn't find the light, and now…now they're trapped." She grieved, clearly referring to herself and Ezra as much as the other ghosts.

"Doomed to wander the earth for all eternity." Ezra spoke melodramatically.

It became apparent the further along the path they travelled that the nightly activities of the ghosts they passed were routine to them, a monotonous existence in which time moved forward, but they never did.

"How can we help you?" Sara asked them, filled with genuine sorrow for their plight.

"You already have." Emma replied gratefully. "You've brought Elizabeth back to Gracey Manor, and that's given us more hope than we've felt in over a hundred years."

"Woah, woah, hang on a minute." Jim stopped her. "Emmy is not Elizabeth, she's a college student who's been living with us for almost four years. Now, we're gonna get this key, but when that's over with, we're taking her out of here."

"And if she wishes to stay?" Ezra argued.

Jim's eyes narrowed skeptically.

"What do you mean?"

"The master believes that if she spends enough time here, her memories will return, and if they do, then she'll have more than enough reasons to remain with us." He spoke confidently.

"But she's just a girl!" Sara insisted. "I'm truly sorry for what's happened to you, but she has her whole life ahead of her! You can't expect her to give all of that up."

"If things go according to plan, then the Emilia you know will no longer exist after tonight." Ezra grumbled, irritated that these people thought they could claim the girl that he and Emma had practically raised from childhood.

"Dad? Is that true?" Michael questioned worriedly.

He hadn't thought that losing Emmy was a part of the plan.

"Alright! Alright! Everyone calm down!" Emma shouted at them as the hearse came to a stop. "This is as far as we can take you. You'll have to walk from here."

Looking around them, the Evers noted that they were on the farthest edges of the Gracey property, a great distance from the house and a location that appeared to be largely devoid of ghosts. Of course, that's not to say that there weren't plenty of other ghoulish creatures lurking around.

"Okay." Jim muttered, moving to exit the carriage.

But he nearly jumped out of his skin when he was greeted by the sight of three ghosts sitting beside them.

"Hey!" He protested, glaring at the closest ghost, who sported a top hat and bowtie. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

The ghost looked as surprised as he did, and he glanced over at his cohorts conspiratorially.

"Can they see us?"

"No, of course not!" A bearded ghost asserted.

"Yes, I can see you. I'm looking at you right now in your stupid hat." Jim stated.

"Don't listen to him. He's lying!" The bearded ghost accused him.

Jim and Sara exchanged a bemused look with each other and Jim shook his head.

"Whatever. Come on, kids. Let's go. Come on."

He, Sara, and the kids all clambered out of the hearse as swiftly as they could, leaving the three confused ghosts to ogle after them.

"I could swear he was looking right at me."

"He's psychic."

XXXXX

A century's worth of dust rose from the floor as Mr. Gracey and I stepped inside the attic, and I tried my hardest to keep from coughing. All around us were relics of a different era – chests overflowing with 19th century literature, hand-crafted expensive-looking furniture, and old paintings so worn away you could hardly see the picture anymore – but what I was drawn to was a collection of items tucked away in the far corner of the room, which must have once belonged to a lady of the house.

My fingers wrapped around the handle of a small, ornate mirror, and I could feel Mr. Gracey's gaze on me as I blew away the dust that coated it and brushed my finger delicately over its designs.

"It's beautiful." I murmured.

"It belonged to her."

"Oh!" My head whipped around to look at him and I suddenly felt like I was intruding on something private. "I'm sorry, it was just –"

"It's perfectly alright, Ms. Hartford. It's actually a part of what I wanted to show you."

Mr. Gracey walked over to stand beside me and I shivered as he carefully took the mirror from my hands, his fingers brushing mine.

"Most of the items you see here belonged to Elizabeth. My grandfather refused to part with anything of hers, but the memories they brought him were too painful to bear. So, everything was moved here for safekeeping."

He set the mirror down and moved further into the room, and I trailed curiously after him, intrigued by the thought of any other treasures he might unveil. That was when I saw it.

Standing alone - and most certainly unused - was a gorgeous, white wedding dress shrouded in black, beside which Mr. Gracey stopped and looked at me, as if trying to interpret my reaction to it. Indeed, when I reached his side, I was shocked by the force of the unexpected grief that hit me.

"This was to have been her wedding dress."

 _Her mother's wedding dress,_ a part of me whispered.

"It's lovely." I complimented.

"It would have been lovelier still if she'd ever had a chance to wear it." He remarked, and I cringed at the bitterness in his voice. "Now it serves only as a dark reminder of what could have been."

Twisting around to look up into his eyes, I was startled when I felt tears beginning to brim in my own.

 _What's come over me?_

"To love someone so much and then lose them so suddenly. I can't imagine how awful that must be." I could barely even get the words out.

My breath caught in my throat as he leaned in towards me, much like he had when we were in the nursery, though this time, I was prepared for it…at least, until he raised up his hand to softly wipe away a tear from the corner of my eye.

"If you truly love someone, they never leave you." He professed, staring down at me like he was begging me to listen to him, to understand what he was saying. "They remain in your heart forever."

He was so close to me now. If I just pressed up onto my toes a little more…

 _Stop it, Emilia!_ My conscience returned, much to my vexation. _You don't know him._

Forcing myself to break the moment, I glanced back towards the dress, and thought I saw a brief look of frustration on Mr. Gracey's features as I did so, but it was gone long before I could be sure. Once again, he offered me his arm.

"Come. There's one more place I wish to show you."

XXXXX

Michael was worried. A little more than worried, actually. When he and Megan had discovered the portrait of Elizabeth…Emmy…whoever she was…in the attic, he had been eager to play his part in helping to break the curse. But now…well, he hadn't considered what would happen if Emmy did turn out to be Elizabeth. Would she really decide to leave them if she got her memories back? Michael liked his nanny very much, and he didn't want her to go, but…but if she was in love with Mr. Gracey, then wasn't it more important for her to be happy?

"Hey, mom?" He asked Sara as the four of them traversed their way between the graves.

"Yes?" She looked at him inquiringly.

"Would Emmy really stay here if she got her memories back?"

Jim made a noise of exasperation from his place at the head of the group.

"Look, Emmy isn't going anywhere, alright?" He persisted. "All we have to do is get out of here, and things will go back to normal."

"You don't know that, Jim." Sara pointed out.

"Would you rather she stays here with the dead guy?" He stopped and turned towards her, holding his arms out to the side as if daring her to quarrel with him.

"If that's what she wants, then yes!" She confessed bluntly.

For a long moment, Jim stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. This was Emmy they were talking about. She was a part of the family, and now, all of a sudden, his wife and children were seriously considering the idea of leaving her behind in this creepy place with a ghost who, for all they knew, could have been a murderer in his past life.

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen." He vowed.

"How do you know, dad?" Megan questioned him in her snarky way.

"Because we're not leaving her here."

"We may not have a choice." Sara tried to tell him. "She's a grown woman, Jim. And…and if what Ezra and Emma say is true, then she loves him. You remember that feeling, don't you?"

Her sarcastic tone slightly insulted him, but the moment that he opened his mouth to retort, he came to the harsh realization that there was simply no point in arguing with her. Instead, he clenched his jaw and let his gaze fall to the ground with a defeated huff.

 _He's afraid,_ Sara realized.

Her brow furrowed in sympathy as she took in his tense stance and the troubled expression on his face, and she silently walked up to him to place her hand lovingly against his cheek, directing his eyes back up to hers.

"I'm scared for her, too." She admitted. "But we're not the only ones here who care about her. No matter what happens, all we can do is make sure Emilia is happy, whatever she chooses."

As Jim looked into her soft, compassionate eyes, he was reminded of one of the reasons he fell in love with her in the first place. It didn't matter how bad things got between them. She never lost faith in him. And now it was his turn to put his faith in her.

"…Alright." He finally gave in. "We'll figure this all out when the time comes."

A throat being cleared interrupted them, and they both looked up to see Michael and Megan watching them impatiently.

"Well, what are we standing around here for?" Jim straightened up, getting back into his old self again. "We've got a key to find."

On that note, he spun around and they continued forth on their adventure through the cemetery, spurred on by a new determination to help the girl they all cared for so much.

"Isn't it romantic?" Megan commented as they inched their way across the marshy land. "He was willing to throw everything away for love."

"Well, now he's broke, dead, and cursed. Nice move." Jim muttered. "Oh, crap. These are my new shoes. Hey kids, watch your step."

"Oh, crap!" Michael copied as he stepped in the mud.

"Hey, Michael, don't say crap." Jim instructed him.

After what seemed like an eternity to all of them, the family at last emerged into a small clearing, and were both awed and intimidated by the structure that stood before them, whose stone protectors held torches that sprang to life at their approach. Sara pulled Michael protectively to her, but Megan climbed up the few steps to read the inscription on the door.

"Look." She said. "It's a warning."

"Now, how do you know that?" Jim questioned, coming up behind her.

"I studied Latin for three years, dad. You thought it was dumb, remember? You said it was a dead language."

"Oh, well." He gestured to the many graves around them. "We see how wrong I was about that."

Megan rolled her eyes and started to read aloud.

"Beware all who enter. Here lies the passage…to the dead."

"Mom…" Michael pressed back against Sara anxiously.

"It's alright, Michael." She consoled him.

"Sara, why don't you and the kids stay out here?" Jim suggested, to Megan's horror. "I'll be in and out as fast as I can."

"But, dad!" Megan complained.

"Stay with your mom." He ordered her.

Even Sara was unsettled by his decision, and she watched restlessly as he sized up the menacing door in front of him and reached out to pull the handle back, which, after some initial difficulty, he eventually succeeded in. The door creaked open with a groan of protest, revealing the mausoleum's cobweb-covered entrance.

"Oh, wow." Jim was really starting to regret his decision to come here.

He eyed the statue on his right and lifted the torch from its clutches to light the way…or perhaps, he grimly considered, to use as protection against whatever it was that awaited him.

"Okay. Alright." He muttered under his breath, trying to build the motivation to enter.

His hand reached out to tear the cobwebs away and took a deep, preparing breath, but before he could even set a foot inside, Sara's frantic voice called out.

"Jim, wait!" She stopped him.

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow curiously. For a moment, she was uncertain about whether or not to act on the impulse her heart was urging her to follow, and she her eyes flickered back and forth between Jim in the doorway and her children beside her. She had promised herself she wouldn't let them out of her sight, but…but right now, her husband needed her.

Making a split-second decision, Sara kneeled down in front of Michael and Megan, putting a hand on each of their shoulders and taking in their faces like it could be the last time she saw them.

"Megan, I need you to watch your brother for me." She directed.

"Mom?" Megan stared at her apprehensively.

"Promise me."

Though bewildered, the teenager slowly nodded her head, and Sara tugged them to her in a secure embrace.

"Stay together and stay safe."

Before she could change her mind, she stood to her feet and went to join Jim at the entrance, where he stood watching her in bafflement.

"What are you doing?" He inquired.

"I'm not letting you go in there alone." She said resolutely.

"Sara, come on. Honey, it's dangerous!" He attempted to dissuade her.

"Which is exactly why I need to go." She stared him down, making it clear that he wasn't about to get rid of her that easily. "We're a team, Jim. We stick together."

Jim gaped down at her, wondering how it was he had managed to find a woman as perfect as the one in front of him. There was no stopping her when she set her mind to something.

"Man, I love you." He grinned.

She smiled back at him and they turned to Megan and Michael, both of whom – now understanding their mother's plan - looked greatly unhappy to be left behind, albeit for different reasons.

"Okay. We'll be right back." Jim promised.

"Twenty minutes tops, right?" Megan grilled them.

"Twenty minutes tops." Jim confirmed.

And so, with one last reassuring glance at each other, he and Sara turned and began their trek – side by side – down into the realm of the dead.

XXXXX

 **Yes, I'm sorry, I skipped the singing busts, because, as fun as they are, their bit goes on for a while and is not important to the story. Also, those of you wanting to see more Edward/Emilia/Elizabeth, don't worry, because after the next chapter, the story focuses pretty much entirely on them. So, I think you know what's coming. Chances are good that another chapter will be up tomorrow!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	9. A Song from the Past

**Yes, yes, yes, I'm back again! I'm between jobs right now and classes don't start for another week, so I've been on a huge writing kick, and the result is that you get another chapter! Yay! Thank you CCangel and withloveee for your reviews and thank you all for your wonderful support!**

 **Disclaimer: Guess who owns the Haunted Mansion rights? Not me!**

XXXXX

Down, down, down Sara and Jim crept into the tomb, and the farther down they went, the stronger the stench of death became.

But little did they know that, back within the mansion, a pale figure stood watching them through Madame Leota's crystal ball, his gloved hands clenched tightly as he recognized exactly what the Evers were trying to do and how close they had already come to achieving it.

This wouldn't do.

No, this wouldn't do at all.

XXXXX

All the torches within the mausoleum were lit as Sara and Jim neared the bottom of the staircase, and she couldn't help but notice that every single space reserved for a coffin was occupied, and then some.

"What was it that gypsy told us to look for?" Jim mumbled to himself. "Look for a crypt with...look for a crypt…"

"A crypt without a name." Sara reminded him. "'Find the black crypt that bears no name, or soon your fate will be the same.'"

As if on cue, the two of them simultaneously turned their heads to see a large black crypt right across the bridge from where they stood.

"That must be it." Jim said.

"I never would have guessed." Sara smirked at him sardonically.

He considered responding with some kind of smart remark, but she was already two steps ahead of him, picking her way carefully across the bridge and trying to avoid getting her heels stuck in the grates.

"I'm officially starting to get sick of this place." Jim commented as he came up behind her.

"I'm officially starting to get sick of these shoes." She replied. "Besides, as I recall, it was your idea to come here in the first place."

He gave her a cynical look as they made it to the other side and climbed up to steps to the coffin.

"You know, I seem to remember a time when you enjoyed work even more than I did."

"Oh, you mean before I gave birth to and raised our two kids?" She said it as more of a statement than a question.

"Hey, I take seriously my responsibility as breadwinner for this family. I want our kids to have everything I never had before." He defended himself.

"Since when did you have a bad childhood?" She teased.

"I didn't – " He paused at the amusement in her eyes and realized she was messing with him. "Alright, let's just get this over with. Hold this."

Sara took the torch from him and he turned in dread to the black crypt, putting his hands on the top and holding his breath as he gave a hard shove and forcefully uncovered the corpse that lay inside, whose rotting hands held the object they were searching for.

"It's the key!" Sara exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's the key." Jim's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Oh, man. Excuse me one second. Sorry to bother you."

His hands reluctantly reached out to take the key from the skeleton's clutches, and the sound it made as it hit against bone was a sound that neither Jim nor Sara ever wanted to hear again.

"Okay, alright." Jim spoke once the key was in his grip. "Now, that wasn't hard, was it?"

"Let's get out of here." Sara urged, handing the torch back to him.

They both readily turned away in the direction they had come and hurried over the bridge, not wanting to spend any more time here than they had to.

"That gypsy had me thinking that was gonna be hard, that was easy." Jim noted.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, they both knew he'd spoken too soon. A chilling rattle sounded behind them and they glanced over at each other in terror before slowly turning around to face an image that was the stuff of nightmares. The skeleton man was now sitting upright, staring at them like they were lecherous thieves, and as an earsplitting howl issued from his bony jaws, Jim's shaking fingers dropped the key.

"Jim!" Sara cried.

In a panic, they both reached down to grab it, only to watch helplessly as it fell through the grate and into the murky water below.

"Oh no!" Jim moaned.

He and Sara raised their heads to see that the zombie was out of his casket and inching his way towards them.

"Go get the key, I'll take care of him!" Jim pushed Sara behind him, and she hurriedly ran over to the water's edge, kicking off her shoes and - in spite of the sickening shudder that ran through her – plunging into the water to start her search.

Above her, she could hear Jim hysterically trying to reason with the zombie as it stepped onto the bridge.

"Hey, man, go on back to bed! Get back into bed! Go back to bed! I'm Jim Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate, what's your name? Hey, look, I don't want any trouble man, I just need to get the key! The gypsy told me it was alright to get the key, so – _hey, oh_!"

He barely dodged the skeleton's outstretched arms as they swung towards him. Sure, talking may not have been the smartest move to make in his current situation, but it was the only thing Jim knew how to do.

"Just lighten up!" He tried again. "Now, let me tell you something! I'm trying to get the key, 'cuz I got things to do! I gotta help my friend! I don't want no trouble!"

The zombie swung at him again and he jumped backwards, holding the torch out in front of him.

 _The torch! Of course!_

"Seriously! Back up!" He threatened.

Again, the zombie came at him, but this time he was prepared and ducked beneath its arms.

"You asked for it!"

Sara, still searching frenziedly, heard a hollow-sounding clunk on the other side of the tomb, and let out a shriek when the skeleton's now headless body suddenly splashed into the water behind her.

"Next time you're gonna think twice before coming back from the dead, ain't you?!" Jim's triumphant voice came from above her.

He bent down to peer at her through the grate.

"You okay? Did you get the key?"

"I'm fine, but I'm still looking!" She informed him.

"Well, take your time! Relax. I have everything under control up here. I have everything completely under contr – "

A deafening creak resounded through the tomb and Sara wanted to go up on that bridge and slap him.

"Sara, you better look _faster_!"

Crash after terrible crash echoed all around them as an entire army of zombies began to awaken, and Sara knew there was only one thing she could do. She took a deep breath and dove down into the water.

Meanwhile, all Jim could do was stand petrified while the undead crawled out of their caskets and tore through walls as easily as if they were paper, screeching and growling and hungry for blood, and in the span of two minutes, they had him completely surrounded. They were hideous. Their bones were dripping with rotting flesh, their teeth were jagged and brown, and their skulls were empty, black caverns that truly defined the phrase "looking death right in the face".

Back under the water, Sara finally spotted the key, sitting precariously on the edge of a broken slab of rock. Her hand stretched out towards it, but as soon as she'd grabbed ahold of it, the head of the zombie Jim had supposedly defeated came rocketing towards her, and her mouth opened in a water-filled scream that sent her scrambling for the surface.

Barely had she emerged from the water when two bony hands gripped her shoulders and she whirled around to find herself enclosed by a circle of the hellish creatures.

"Jim!" She hollered. "Jim!"

The zombies backed her up against a wall beneath the bridge, and as their foul stench overwhelmed her, she wondered if this was truly the end, especially when another hand grabbed her shoulder from above.

But this one was accompanied by a familiar voice.

"Sara! Give me your hand!"

Her heart nearly burst with relief when she looked up to see her husband's frightened face, and she gripped onto his arm for dear life as he pulled her to safety. Once she was up, she quickly snatched her shoes, and they took off running across the bridge and towards the exit, leaping up the steps two at a time and back to the world above.

XXXXX

Megan had had enough of waiting. It had to have been twenty minutes by now, and even if it hadn't, she wasn't going to sit out here and babysit while her parents were down there risking their lives to help Emmy.

"I'm going in." She told Michael, who was sitting on the steps beside her munching on a candy bar.

At her declaration, however, he looked up in disbelief.

"Are you crazy?" He asked.

"Are you stupid? That's mom and dad in there, Michael! They need our help." She glared at him.

"But, mom said – "

"To stick together. So, are you coming or not?" She challenged him.

But before he could even begin to comprehend what she was saying, a loud shout came from within the mausoleum.

"Michael! Megan!"

"That's mom!" Megan yelled.

Without any hesitation, she bolted through the door and into the tomb to meet them, and as soon as she was inside, the door slammed shut behind her, leaving Michael alone on the outside, and the rest of the Evers trapped within.

"Michael!" His father's voice called out. "Michael, open the door!"

"Michael, it's locked from the outside!" Sara's voice joined him.

Now, Michael did not consider himself a coward. But when dozens upon dozens of huge, hairy tarantulas came crawling out and positioned themselves all across the mausoleum door, you can bet that he was more horrified than he'd ever been in his entire life.

"Michael, open the door! Open the door! Michael!" Sara pleaded.

"Mom, there's spiders everywhere and I don't have a magazine!" He explained his dilemma.

"Hey, Michael, are you scared?" Jim asked him.

"Uh huh!" He nodded.

"Michael, it's okay to be scared. Everybody gets scared sometimes! Daddy's scared right now!"

"You are?"

"Yes, I'm very scared! Now, please, open the door, son!"

"Michael, open the door or I'll kill you!"

Michael ignored his sister's more aggressive 'encouragement' and focused on what his father was telling him.

"Hey, Michael, listen! It's okay to be scared! Everybody gets scared now and then, son, but you just can't let it stop you!" Jim implored him.

"Michael, if you think you're scared now, wait till the zombies come out!" Megan snapped.

 _Zombies?!_

"What zombies?"

There were spiders _and_ zombies in there?

"Michael! Hey, Michael, look! Just open the door, please man! We're running out of time! Open the door right now!"

His family's screams grew desperate, and Michael knew that if he didn't do something right now, he would lose all of them. And so, holding his breath and mustering up every ounce of courage he had in him, he swiftly approached the door, grabbed the spider-covered handle, and wrenched it open.

Jim, Sara, and Megan came tumbling outside and all immediately spun around to force the door shut just as the zombies reached it, resulting in one of the unfortunate ghouls getting their arm chopped off. When that was done, Jim took Michael in his arms and they all rushed away from the tomb, thoroughly shaken by their confrontation with death.

"Okay, alright!" Jim set Michael on the ground and he and Sara brushed away the spiders on his shirt. "Get 'em off! Okay, come on. Get 'em off. Okay. Alright, we got it! Alright. You okay?"

Michael nodded, and as his initial fear began to fade away, he became quite proud of what he'd just accomplished.

"Okay, my brave little man!" Jim hugged him firmly. "Alright. Alright, you okay?"

"Yeah." He gasped out. "You got the key?"

There was a suspenseful moment of doubt as his face dropped, and Sara and the children watched worriedly as he searched through his coat pockets to find what they'd almost died to get.

"Wait, whoa." His hand found something in his front pocket. "Yeah, I got it. I got it. There it is. Okay."

He held up the key in front of them and as they all looked at it, they shared the exact same thought:

 _How could a key be so important?_

XXXXX

I was somewhat surprised when Mr. Gracey led me down the armored hallway and towards the ballroom, as I'd spent most of dinner already trying to take in every magnificent inch of it, and as he pushed the door open and beckoned me to enter, I wondered what it was in this room that he could have left to show me.

The answer presented itself almost instantly.

For in the empty space where there had once been a table in front of the fireplace, there now stood a stunning grand piano.

Its wood was faded and worn, and it looked so well-used that I wasn't even sure it was working anymore, but as I took in how remarkably intricate its details were, and how deliberate the artistry behind it was, I could feel my fingers begin to twitch at my sides, impatient to discover what it would be like to play on such an instrument.

Mr. Gracey noted my attraction to it with great interest.

"Do you play, Ms. Hartford?" He enquired.

"Yes. In fact, it's what I'm studying at school." I explained, my eyes still on the piano.

"So, you're a music student, then?" He sounded especially pleased by this piece of information.

I gave an affirmative 'mmm' and heard him chuckle softly at my entrancement with the instrument in front of us.

"I, uh…don't suppose you'd be interested in playing it, would you?"

It was this suggestion that at last caught my attention, and I tore my gaze away from the piano to look up at him questioningly.

"On this?" I repeated.

He nodded.

"You're serious?"

"Of course." He smiled.

I looked over at the piano again and then back at him, shaking my head.

"Oh, Mr. Gracey, I couldn't, it's far too valuable! I mean, it has to be at least a century – "

"Please, Emilia."

A quiet gasp slipped from my lips.

 _My name. He used my first name._

Perhaps I shouldn't have reacted so strongly to something so simple, but the sound of his deep, smooth voice saying my name aloud for the first time startled me, and as I stared into his dark eyes, I realized that what he asked wasn't a request, but a plea.

For a long moment, I didn't know what to do.

Then, I slowly turned and made my way over to the piano, suddenly all too aware that Mr. Gracey followed right behind me. The air around us was thick with tension as I sat down on the bench and warily watched him as he moved to stand on the piano's other side, his eyes locked on me in a way that, earlier this very night, had set my heart aflutter, but now…now it frightened me.

I wasn't frightened of him, no, for that was impossible. But the emotions that now came over me – the overwhelming, irrepressible… _desire_ …that I felt every time he looked at me – it wasn't right for me to be feeling this way. And deep down, I knew that…but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't resist the need to always be near him, to spend every second that I could at his side. For some reason, he'd become a part of me.

And so, I closed my eyes, brushed my fingers reverently over the piano keys, and began to play a song I knew I'd played many times before.

It was a distant, haunting melody that had been lurking at the back of my mind for many years now, waiting patiently to be remembered, and as my fingers danced effortlessly from one note to the next, I knew that this was the first time I'd ever played it in my waking hours.

 _At least in this lifetime…_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Gracey suddenly inhale, and when I turned my head, our tear-filled gazes met.

" _This is my son, Edward."_

" _Elizabeth, I've got work to do!"_

" _I knew it! You do like him!"_

" _Edward…will you stay?"_

The song stopped as I staggered dazedly to my feet, and it became difficult to breathe as dozens of familiar faces appeared before my eyes, lingering for barely a second before they were replaced with another and then another, and with these faces came endless voices, speaking words in my ear from another time.

"Wh…what's happening to me?" I whispered, barely able to keep myself upright.

Two strong hands grabbed my wrists, and I latched onto Mr. Gracey's face in front of me as the only thing keeping me grounded in reality.

"Emilia, listen to me." He begged. "Do you believe that love is about second chances? About forgiveness?"

" _Elizabeth…I swear to you, I will never, ever let anyone hurt you."_

"I…I don't understand." I breathed.

"Don't you remember? Don't you recognize me at all?" His grip became painful, yet I didn't have the strength to pull away.

"Mr. Gracey…" I tried to say.

"I brought you back to Gracey Manor to help you _remember_. You _have_ to remember!" He pulled me so close to him that our chests were pressed up against each other.

"… _I won't let you fall."_

"Remember what? Mr. Gracey, you're scaring me." Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes.

"Where it happened! Where we spent our last moments together!" He beseeched me. "Where we danced together for the last time before you…before you killed yourself!"

All around us, I could see the memory come alive – hundreds of ghostly, masked figures spinning around in an eternal waltz that would only end if I remembered who the man in front of me was. Who _I_ was.

"But now you've returned to me, and at long last we can be together! Why do you not remember?! You were my world! My life! And I have loved you in death as I did in life!"

" _You're only a child!"_

" _I've been losing him all of my life."_

" _It is who you are, girl."_

" _Sweet Elizabeth…I love you."_

Everything froze.

All I'd ever known in this life faded away and new memories - or rather, old ones - came flooding into the empty spaces they left behind, overpowering my head with the force of a thousand images and the pain of a thousand emotions.

And as the world around me went dark, I heard a voice screaming out my name.

XXXXX

 **Not gonna lie, totally cried writing this. I'll have the next chapter up sometime this week!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	10. The Lovers Reunited

**Greetings all! Bet you didn't expect to get this quite so soon! Or maybe you did. I'm not a mind reader. Anyways, I shall waste no more of your time! Let's get right to it!**

 **Disclaimer: I think we all know how this works.**

XXXXX

" _I'll never leave your side again."_

" _But we're here now. We're together."_

" _Is this something that you're willing to fight for?"_

" _You will destroy him."_

" _Elizabeth…what if I asked you to marry me?"_

" _Oh God, Emma. Am I cut out for this?"_

" _I swear, I am never letting you go."_

" _We'll be like sisters, Lizzie!"_

" _This is a new beginning. For all of us."_

" _Edward…promise me something."_

" _How could you do this to us?!"_

" _Please, listen to me!"_

" _Devil! Fiend! His curse comes!"_

" _Remember the music box, sweet Elizabeth."_

" _We cared for you all those years because we love you."_

" _My soul is yours."_

" _And mine is yours, dearest Edward."_

XXXXX

Edward.

Oh, my dear, dear Edward! How could I have ever forgotten him?

As my memories came rushing back to me, his eyes were the image I held onto – dark, warm, gentle…and abounding with a love that was meant for me and me alone.

Oh, God.

All these years, he'd been here, waiting for me to return to him. He'd _killed_ himself for me, and I…where was I? What had happened to me that night? According to Edward's story, it seemed I had killed myself, but…but that couldn't be right! I remembered wanting to be with him! I remembered deciding to run away with him!

But after that…it was gone, all gone. It was as if there was a locked door guarding the way to my memories of my own death, and no matter how hard I shoved against it, it would not open. There was something important I was missing. I could feel it.

But my frustration was swept away in the blink of an eye as I heard the fretful voice of the man I loved calling out to me – no, not to me. To Emilia.

"Emilia! Emilia!"

I struggled to push through all of the pictures flashing rapidly in my head, desperate to find him, to let him know how much I missed him. To tell him how sorry I was for leaving him alone all these years. I had to get to him.

Finally, after a long period in which I worked to separate the two lives of memories within me, my eyes fluttered open.

"Emilia? Are you alright?"

He was kneeling next to me, as I knew he would be, and behind his pale, fearful expression I could see the love that he'd been trying to show me all night. He looked scared to touch me. Carefully, I sat up, never letting my eyes leave his.

"Emilia?" He asked again, and I cringed at the use of my false name.

"Edward…" I breathed out, tears filling my eyes.

It was as if I was seeing him again for the first time, and in many ways, I was.

As soon as his name passed my lips, he froze, his breath hitching and his eyes growing wide with a mix of incredulity and hope.

"…Elizabeth?" He whispered my name like a prayer.

His eyes searched mine frantically, and I let all the love I'd ever felt for him shine through as my tears began to fall and my hand came up to tenderly caress his cheek. When my fingers touched his skin, he gasped, and his eyes glossed over with tears of his own.

"Oh, Edward!" I wept.

That was all the confirmation he needed.

"Oh, Elizabeth!" His voice broke.

And then we were in each other's arms for the first time in over a hundred years, laughing and crying and clutching unto each other as though any moment we'd awaken at to find this a cruel dream.

"Elizabeth, _Elizabeth!_ Oh, my darling!"

He cried my name over and over, his tears soaking my neck while his arms held me tighter still, and as my fingers tangled fervently in his hair, I looked towards the heavens and thanked whatever powers could hear for returning me to him.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" I professed, burying my face into his shoulder.

Even his scent was exactly the same.

"I thought I'd lost you forever." He returned, pushing me back so he could take my face in his hands and press his forehead against mine. " _Why_ , Elizabeth? Why did you do it?"

Such a simple question, yet it filled his eyes with an anguish that was unbearable to witness.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." I choked. "I wanted to be with you, Edward, I swear it!"

"Then why did you leave me?" He beseeched brokenheartedly.

Unable to look at his wounded expression any longer, I let my gaze fall to the floor.

"I don't know. I don't know! All I remember is being with you and dancing and wishing it could go on forever and then…nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"…You don't remember?"

I gave a small shake of my head.

"No. The next thing I knew, I was waking up at the Evers' house."

We were both quiet for a long time, brooding over this turn of events.

"Edward?" I began reluctantly.

"Yes?"

"…What _did_ happen that night?"

His entire body went rigid, and the silence that came before his response made my stomach clench. I raised my eyes back up to his face and saw that his skin had gone immensely pale, and the sheer agony that had taken over his features made my own heart shatter with sorrow. Quickly, I placed both of my hands over his and turned my head to press a comforting kiss to the inside of his wrist.

"It's alright, Edward, it's over." I whispered. "I'm here. I'm right here and I swear I'm not going anywhere."

His eyes closed and he released an unsteady breath.

"…I need to know what happened." I coaxed him.

After another stressful silence, he opened his eyes and nodded, taking my hands in his and helping me to my feet, then leading me over to sit beside him on the piano bench.

"You've already heard the general story." He began, running his thumbs over my palms in a gesture so lovingly familiar that my tears almost started anew. "After I left you in the ballroom, I went to the study and found a note written in your hand. At the worst, I expected it might be a rejection of my proposal to elope, but when I opened it – "

He paused, his hands clenching uncomfortably around my wrists as he tried to calm himself.

"…What I read filled me with more terror than I ever thought possible. You said that you couldn't bear the thought of taking away my future, but that if we couldn't be together, then you couldn't bear to live at all. It frightened me. I ran to find you, to talk you out of it, to _beg_ if I had to, but…but I was too late."

The last word came out as a sob and I immediately threw my arms around him, murmuring reassuring words in his ear as he pulled me to him with a desperate strength and began to press kisses over and over again into my hair.

"I'm here, Edward, I'm here. I've come back to you." I told him.

His lips kissed the skin just below my ear and we both shivered, though for two very different reasons.

"When I found you in the library, I…I felt my entire world fall apart. You mean everything to me, Elizabeth. And the thought of having to face life without you by my side – knowing that I would never hold you in my arms or hear your voice again – it drove me mad with despair. I couldn't live without you."

A single tear slipped from my eye as I was struck with the terrible reminder that Edward had died to be with me again. It should have been impossible for him to be here now, and yet, here he was, gazing at me with an expression as grateful and wondrous as my own.

"You've been waiting for me all this time?" I realized.

He gave me a bittersweet smile.

"And you brought me here knowing that I probably wouldn't remember you?"

I raced back through all of Emilia's memories of the evening; the look on Edward's face when he first spotted me, the strange affection he'd shown me during dinner, the way he held my hand on our tour – he'd spent all night telling me our own story, praying that I would remember him, and all it had taken was a few simple notes on the piano.

"Actually, I was originally after Sara."

His confession made me nearly choke with disbelief.

"Sara?" I gaped at him.

"You look surprised." He chuckled.

"Well, yes! Of course I am! I mean…"

Sara, _Sara_ , who'd been like a mother to me, who was at least ten years older than me. And Edward had…I cringed at the image that entered my mind, of him looking at Sara the same way he'd looked at me all night.

"…I don't even want to think about it." I decided with a shudder.

Edward laughed again, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"Can you blame me? You two do look remarkably alike and after a hundred years, one starts to get desperate."

"A hundred years…" I echoed quietly. "…I'm sorry I took so long."

"If it meant seeing you again, I'd have waited a hundred years more." He vowed.

A tiny smile crossed my lips and then I felt his fingers come under my chin, gently tilting my face upwards so that I was staring into his hypnotizing eyes, which looked on me with a yearning that made me heart melt. Slowly, torturously, he leaned in towards me, and the moment that our lips met, we were lost in each other.

Our hands were everywhere, grasping onto hair and clothing, clasping to each other's arms, drawing us closer and closer together, and yet, somehow, never close enough. Everywhere his fingers touched, my skin tingled with pleasure. When his tongue brushed against my bottom lip, I eagerly welcomed it, letting him deepen the kiss with a moan of ecstasy.

It was an eternity later when I finally had to pull away for breath, only to gasp as Edward moved his lips to my jaw and continued to kiss his way down my neck, forcing me to grip onto his shoulders for fear I may collapse in a disheveled heap. A small squeak escaped me when his lips swept over the top of my breast and I pushed him back, blushing and beaming.

"I forget that you don't need to breathe." I giggled, cupping his cheek in my hand. "You're going to be the death of me."

As soon I'd said it, I realized my mistake. Edward instantly stiffened, his eyes overtaken by the same unbearable anguish from before.

"Oh, Edward, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! It was a stupid mistake, I swear I would never - !"

"Shhh!" He pressed a finger to my mouth with a tilted smile. "I know, love. It's alright. We're both here now, that's all that matters."

Though I was relieved by his assurances, my brow furrowed at the presentation of another problem.

"But…what do we do now?"

He gave me a curious look.

"What do you mean?"

As much as I hated to even bring the question up, it was far too important for us to ignore, and so – despite Edward's reluctance to let me go – I pulled away from his arms and turned to face him.

"Edward…I love you. I never want to be parted from you again, but you're dead and…and for some reason, I'm not. How can we be together if I'm still alive? And what if I die and it's another hundred years before we're together again? What if I don't remember you next time? Or what if I never come back and you're trapped here forever? Oh God, Edward, what if - !"

"Elizabeth!" He gripped my shoulders. "Calm down, love. I may not know the answer to all of those questions, but I do know someone who can help us. It's an old friend of yours, actually."

"Who?"

"A certain gypsy woman." He disclosed.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Madame Leota? She's still here?" I asked in astonishment.

"…In a manner of speaking." He replied cryptically.

"What do you mean?"

Again, he hesitated. Then he stood and held out his hand to me.

"You'll see."

Despite my uneasiness about his answer, I put my hand in his and let him guide me towards what I now recognized as the servants' quarters.

Just how much could the gypsy have changed?

XXXXX

Edward and I were still determinedly holding onto each other when Madame Leota's door came into view, and I was only mildly taken aback at the green light that emanated from the crystal ball within.

"Now, keep in mind that things have changed since the last time you were here." Edward warned, stopping us just outside. "Most of the people you knew are ghosts now."

"I know, Edward. I'm not afraid." I promised him.

But the tentative smile he gave me in response made me wonder if I should be.

"Just trying to prepare you."

With that, he turned and led me into the room, which, upon first inspection, appeared empty. I looked to him in bewilderment.

"Where –"

" _Well, it's about time you showed up."_

The gypsy's voice echoed all around us, and in the next moment, I was staring into a pair of eerily recognizable green eyes, which peered unabashedly back at me from within the crystal ball. I stood speechlessly for several seconds.

Madame Leota was a head. A _head_. A detached, floating, very sentient, ghostly-looking head.

"Madame Leota." I managed to get out. "…You're looking well."

She barked out a laugh.

" _That's quite a greeting after a hundred and twenty-two years."_

"Sorry." I blushed sheepishly. "I just wasn't expecting…that is…how'd you end up like this?"

" _Another story for another time, Ms. Elizabeth. You two have bigger problems on your hands."_ She spoke bluntly, spurring Edward into action.

"You know why we're here, then." He said.

She nodded.

" _The curse, I presume."_

I glanced between the two of them apprehensively.

"What curse?"

My innocent inquiry was answered with a grimace as Edward turned towards me and took my hands in his, almost comfortingly.

"Do you remember the prophecy Madame Leota gave to you the night she first arrived?" He asked.

"Of course. How could I forget? And, wait a minute, how do you know about that?" I questioned, thinking back to the many times we'd argued over my refusal to tell him.

"Because it _wasn't_ a prophecy, Elizabeth. It was a curse. It's the reason that myself and the others have been waiting here for all this time." He explained. "It was our deaths that triggered it. I felt the darkness come on the night I lost you, but I was too grief-stricken to do anything about it. And then, when I died, it was able to claim the mansion entirely."

We had done this? We were responsible for cursing Gracey Manor?

"The others…" I murmured, looking up at Edward and anxiously gripping his wrists. "…You mentioned others. What happened to them? What happened to Ezra and Emma and Maisy and Simon? What happened to the girls? Are they here?"

"Calm down, calm down, love." He hushed me.

The reluctance in his tone regarding my questions made it nearly impossible to do so.

"I will when you tell me." I responded stubbornly.

He sighed.

"The curse took its toll on everyone. After me, the manor was supposed to go to the girls, but they refused to go near it. Most of the servants left to find new positions, Maisy and Simon included, but Emma and Ezra stayed on to try and keep the house from falling to ruin in the girls' absence – until Ezra died of an illness two years later. Apparently, Emma was only a few days behind. She told me she couldn't stand the loneliness."

I listened to his description in mute horror and with an ever-growing sense of shame and guilt.

"It's my fault, isn't it?" I concluded, my stomach twisting nauseously inside me. "I left so many people behind and hurt so many of the ones I love…and I can't even remember why!"

Edward's hands holding onto me stopped me from crumbling to the floor in misery, but I couldn't bear to look into his face knowing that I'd taken his life away from him by taking my own, and so, I clenched my eyes shut and rested my head dejectedly against his chest.

" _Your memories will return soon enough, Ms. Elizabeth. The curse is almost over."_

We both looked up to see Madame Leota watching us intently, and Edward released me to go and stand before her.

"What must we do?" He demanded.

" _It's not a question of what you should do. The choice is hers."_ She revealed, staring at me.

"What choice?" I entreated her.

" _Ending the curse is no simple task. It will require an act of great sacrifice."_

"What kind of sacrifice?" Edward was quick to question her, wrapping his arm protectively around me.

The gypsy gave him a pointed look.

" _The same sacrifice that started the curse in the first place."_

 _Ah._

So, it was my life then.

Remarkably, the revelation didn't bring on feelings of panic or outrage, but rather an unsettling calm – as if my mind had already accepted this condition. I suppose a small part of me had always known that this was the path I was on; after all, it was far easier for me to die than it was for Edward to live. But his reply was immediate.

"No."

"Edward." I protested.

" _Forgive me for saying so, Master Gracey, but what did you expect?"_ Madame Leota stated plainly. _"In order for you to be together, you two must marry, and Elizabeth must drink the same poison that took her life all those years ago. It's the only way to break the curse."_

"Then we'll find another way." Edward growled at her.

"Edward, stop. It's okay." I pulled his arm down and placed my hand on his chest, and he looked at me like I'd just gone bonkers.

"What?"

I smiled warmly.

"It's okay, Edward. I want to do it."

He gawked at me.

"Elizabeth, do you understand what she's saying? She's telling you to _die!_ You'll have to throw the rest of your life away forever!"

"I know, I know." I spoke softly, standing in front of him and letting my hands rise up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "It sounds insane, I know. And…and I can see that you're scared for me. But it's like she said, Edward, the choice is mine to make. And I choose you. What kind of happiness do you think I could have knowing you were trapped here just waiting for me to come back? What kind of life would I have if I spent half of it miserable being apart from you? Love, we've waited this long to be together. Don't you think we'd both go mad waiting any longer?"

A whisper of a smile appeared on Edward's lips and I used the opportunity to press a kiss to the corner of them.

"All you have to do is ask." I told him.

"Ask?" He looked confused.

"Well, you technically did ask me once already, twice if you count the elopement, but that was a hundred and twenty-two years ago, so I think I'm entitled to a third." I smirked impishly up at him.

" _And make it quick."_ Leota goaded him on.

Edward chuckled with understanding and nodded, removing my hands from his neck to take them in his, and then purposefully kneeling down before me, all the while keeping his dark, beautiful eyes locked with mine.

"My sweet Elizabeth," He spoke passionately, "when we were torn away from each other that night, I truly believed you were lost, gone from me forever. I had no hope, no love, no life without you in it. You _are_ my soul, Elizabeth. And so, I kneel before you now and I ask you to let me love you in death as much as I did in life. Elizabeth, will you marry me?"

"It took you long enough." I grinned. "Yes. Yes, a thousand times, yes!"

His eyes gleamed with joy and he raised to his feet as if to kiss me, but I swiftly stopped him with a hand to his mouth, much to his bafflement.

"The next time I kiss you," I explained, "I shall do so as your wife."

The happiness in his features returned full force as he let out a hearty laugh and pulled me into his arms, then lifted me from the floor to spin us about the room in dizzying, gleeful circles; both of us positively giddy with the overwhelming sensation of the other – of simply knowing that, at long last, we were finally together.

And not a soul on earth would dare to tear us apart.

XXXXX

 **Thank goodness. Our lovebirds are together again! YAY! But bad stuff is about to go down! Not yay!**

 **Next chapter will hopefully be up soon! Until then!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	11. Murder

**Hello everyone! I've returned at last! So glad to have finally made it to September! Thank you to CCangel, AlleyCAT19, and withloveee for your reviews! Also, to clarify from the last chapter, Edward was after Sara initially because he confused her for Elizabeth (if you look at pictures of Marsha Thomason and Kylie Bunbury, my Elizabeth faceclaim, they do look a bit alike) and his intentions were to do exactly what he did in the original Haunted Mansion film, which would have ended poorly for everyone. Once he saw Emilia, however, he realized his mistake, and here we are now :)**

 **So on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I am not, nor ever will be, the owner of the Haunted Mansion film rights.**

XXXXX

Barely had Edward and Elizabeth left Madame Leota when Ezra, Emma, and the Evers came barreling through her door, the key gripped securely in Jim's hand. There was no way they were losing that thing now.

"Alright." He said, practically shaking it in her face. "Now, we went to hell and back to get this thing. All I want to know now is where's the door out of here."

" _First, you must find the trunk."_

Everyone stared at her confoundedly.

"Trunk?" Jim echoed.

" _Yes, trunk."_ She replied drearily, tired of having to explain such simple things to these people.

"Not door?" Jim clarified.

" _No. Not door. Trunk."_

The condescension in her voice made Jim want to drop kick that crystal ball of hers through the ceiling.

"All you said I had to do was find this key!" He held up said object. "I got the key and now – now you're telling me this story about a trunk! The key is the answer to all, remember?!"

" _Look, I don't make the rules, okay? I just work here."_ Madame Leota glared up at him.

That did it. If she was going to keep acting so disinterested in their fate, then Jim had no problems with dragging her right down with them, to hell with whatever voodoo magic she possessed.

"Okay, that's it. That's the last straw. I've had enough of this nonsense." He declared.

He shoved the key back in his pocket and approached the table with an intent that the gypsy woman didn't like at all.

" _Hey, what are you doing?"_ She demanded.

To both her horror and fury, she saw the room around her shift as Jim took her crystal ball into his hands and lifted her from her perch, carefully moving towards the doorway with the others following nervously behind.

" _Put me down! This is bad luck! This is very bad luck!"_

"Yeah, I'll show you bad luck." Jim threatened. "I'm tired of playing around with you."

" _I'm getting nauseous!"_

"You'll get over it."

XXXXX

The small entourage picked their way through the miscellaneous items in the attic, following the incensed gypsy's begrudgingly given instructions.

" _Please, don't drop me."_ She urged her carrier. _"I'm fragile. I'm very fragile!"_

"Don't talk to me about being fragile, I'm the one who's feeling fragile right now!" Jim shot back at her.

Sara rolled her eyes from her place behind them, then turned her attention to the task at hand, searching through the many piles of furniture to find the trunk that Madame Leota spoke of. Something inside of her said that they were running out of time.

Thankfully, it was only a few steps later when she and Jim both spotted what they were looking for.

"Is that it?" Sara asked Madame Leota.

" _That's it."_

The trunk was unassuming from the outside; it's black paint was faded and chipped, and the dust that coated it proved that it hadn't been opened in a great deal of time, but aside from these trivial details, there was nothing that was especially worth noting about it. This made the group all the more curious about the secrets it held within.

"Alright, now we're in business." Jim muttered.

He handed off the crystal ball to a very reluctant Ezra – who, in turn, handed it over to an equally reluctant Emma - and kneeled down in front of the trunk to unlock it, with Sara and the kids peering intently over his shoulder. When the key slid perfectly into the lock, they all released a sigh of relief, and Jim shared one last anticipating glance with Sara before lifting the lid back on its hinges. Again, they were surprised to be greeted not with treasure (as Michael had hoped for) or with an exit strategy (as Jim had hoped for), but with a significant pile of old trinkets and documents – albeit, many of them probably antiques, but still nothing that they had been hoping for.

"Hey, how do I know what to look for? This thing is full of junk!" Jim protested.

" _Find the thing that must be read, lest your heart be filled with dread."_ Madame Leota directed him.

Both Jim and Sara reached in and began to sort through the items: books, pictures, papers…

"There's nothing in here red." Jim mumbled disgruntledly.

But in the two seconds after the words had left his mouth, Sara's eye happened to be caught by a flash of color sticking out from near the bottom of the trunk, as though begging to be discovered. She delicately pulled it out to reveal a red piece of parchment…one that had Elizabeth's name scrawled across the front. Instantly, her heart began to pound in her chest, and she knew that this was the answer they'd been seeking.

"Jim, look." She touched his shoulder.

His eyes landed on the parchment in her hands. At first, he looked baffled, then his face lit up with the same understanding that Sara had come to.

"Wait a minute." He announced to the others, taking the parchment from her hands. "There's a letter here. It's a letter."

Eager to turn the events of this night into a memory as soon as possible, Jim wasted no time in removing the wax stamp and unfolding the letter's contents, which he began to read aloud.

"Yes, my dear heart, I will marry you." He recited.

Emma and Ezra's heads both immediately shot up.

"I will love you for all eternity, and tonight, at last, we will be together. I do."

"Forever yours…Elizabeth." Sara finished in awe.

A stunned silence came over the group as they all comprehended exactly what the letter meant.

"She didn't kill herself." Emma finally breathed out.

All this time she'd been tormenting herself for not seeing what Elizabeth was going through – for not being there to stop her when she took the poison – and now…now she was questioning why Elizabeth's death hadn't seemed more suspicious to her in the first place.

"She wanted to be with him." Ezra murmured.

Like his wife, he'd spent the majority of the past hundred years wondering how he could have failed Elizabeth so severely. She had seemed so happy on the night of the ball, and then, out of the blue, had done the most horrendous deed that any of them could have envisioned; and yes, he'd been distrustful of the circumstances at first – after all, Elizabeth had loved the master with all of her heart; it didn't make sense for her to turn to suicide – but who was he to bring up such a painful prospect so soon after her death? And when Edward had killed himself…well, he'd thought it was all over then.

"Yeah, and somebody gave him the wrong letter."

Jim answered so casually that it took all of them a moment to grasp the dark implication of his words.

If Elizabeth didn't kill herself…

…who did?

"Yes, well done, Mr. Evers."

A grating voice behind them made the whole group whirl around in fright, and when they caught sight of the pale, menacing man looming in the shadows behind them, suddenly the truth was all too clear.

"Of course." Sara whispered to herself.

Ramsley. It was Ramsley who had murdered Elizabeth. The most obvious choice that any of them could have suspected, and yet, he'd managed to go the entire night without once having his morals questioned. Hell, he'd managed to go for over _a hundred years_ evading justice for his atrocious crime.

 _But not anymore_ , Sara thought as she stared at him in pure loathing.

"I must say I'm impressed. You and your wife are more persistent than I would have ever imagined." Ramsley scowled at them.

His plan was falling to pieces, barely hanging by a thread, but he'd be damned if he let these pathetic mortals get the better of him.

"The butler did it?!" Jim exclaimed incredulously. "You got to be kidding me!"

Meanwhile, Emma and Ezra could do nothing but stare in shock at the villain who'd taken their girl from them. Had they both been blind? From the very beginning, Ramsley had made his disdain for Elizabeth clear – he'd beaten her for heaven's sake! – but they never could have predicted that he would be driven to such madness. To _kill_ the woman who meant everything to the man who'd practically been his son…it was beyond betrayal.

Slowly, Ramsley's head turned towards them.

"I will deal with you two _later._ " He growled.

The two ghosts shuddered and, against their will, vanished into the air, leaving the Evers family to face their captor alone. Sara was on her feet in seconds.

"Why did you kill Elizabeth?" She confronted him.

"Because the master would not listen to reason." Ramsley justified. "He had everything in the world, and yet he was willing to throw it all away for love. I did tell him it would end badly."

"You're a real cold dude." Jim accused him, standing to join Sara.

"No, Mr. Evers. I am a rational man. It was my responsibility to the house. My, duty, sir, to see to it that the boy did not make a foolish error in judgement. Running away with that girl would have destroyed this house. It would have destroyed everything! And I could not stand by and watch it all fall to ruin."

Sara could see it so easily: an unsuspecting Elizabeth drinking from a poisoned cup, then dying alone while her killer made his escape through the very same passageways that she and Jim had gotten lost in earlier, self-assured in the knowledge that Mr. Gracey would never learn of his treachery. This man was responsible for everything that the mansion's residents had suffered through. Apparently, Megan was having similar thoughts.

"Punch his face in, dad!" She urged Jim on.

"Yeah, but first I'm gonna tell his master what really happened." He declared defiantly.

Sara sent him a warning look.

"The master must never know." Ramsley replied unsurprisingly. "Edward and his love may have received their 'happy' reunion, but the girl doesn't remember everything…and I intend to keep it that way."

"What do you mean 'happy reunion'?" Jim questioned. "That's not her! That's Emilia!"

"I think you will find she begs to differ. But that is of little importance now."

The butler stalked across the room towards Elizabeth's wedding dress, still wrapped in its shroud.

"The only thing that matters is that the master's pain must end. And it will end tonight. The curse will be broken, and we can all finally move on."

"Alright, that's it, man." Jim stepped forward, prepared to get rough if he had to, but determined to get his family out. "Where's Emmy?"

"Getting ready for her wedding, of course." Ramsley seemed amused by his forceful tone.

His words caught all of them off guard. Emmy? Getting married to Mr. Gracey?

"What wedding? He can't marry her!" Jim argued. "He's dead, and she's not!"

A morbid smirk appeared on Ramsley's face.

"True…but that can be easily corrected. Life, I'm afraid, is such a delicate state." He spoke with a sickening triumph.

Sara gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth in horror as she realized what the butler intended to do, and Michael and Megan clung to her fearfully, full of regret for having initially wanted to help their nanny be with Mr. Gracey. Jim, on the other hand, was pissed. This lunatic wasn't about to threaten a member of his family and get away with it.

"If you put one finger on that girl, I swear I'll kill you!" He shouted.

His fist swung up to punch Ramsley as his daughter had so aptly suggested, but this quickly proved to be a mistake when, instead of the resounding thwack they expected, a harmless whoosh filled the air as Jim's hand went right through the pale figure. He foolishly attempted the action again, and wound up stumbling through the butler as he leisurely turned to mock him.

"How wonderful. You're going to kill a ghost." He jeered.

"Get away from him!" Sara tried to run to Jim's side.

All it took was a flick of Ramsley's wrist to send her flying backwards, and when her head hit the floor, she was no longer conscious.

"Sara!" Jim screamed for her.

"Mom!" Michael and Megan chorused.

Before Jim could stop them, they rushed towards her, and he watched helplessly as Ramsley gestured with his fingers and sent a large chest hurtling at them from behind, which crashed into their legs, buckling them out from underneath them and forcing them to topple back into the chest, whose lid instantly closed and locked.

"Let them go!" Jim bellowed.

Again, he tried to attack the old butler, and again, merely flew right through him, tumbling to the floor and up against the chest which held his children. The look on Ramsley's face reminded him of a predator taunting its prey.

"You're gonna let my kids out of here, you're gonna take us to Emilia, and you're gonna let us out of here right now!" Jim ordered him, despite knowing how hopeless it was.

The satisfaction on Ramsley's face was replaced with irritation at the imbecile's ridiculous attempt to gain control.

"You want out…fine."

He kneeled down in front of Jim and did what he'd been wanting to do since the man had dared to set foot in Gracey Mansion, reaching out his gloved hand and gripping him securely by the throat.

"Let me show you _out._ "

There was nothing Jim could do but struggle as Ramsley lifted them both high into the tower, flying up to position them so that they were level with the windows, and when Jim saw the cruel, dark rage in his assailant's eyes, he fully believed he was done for.

 _Sara…kids…I'm sorry._

"Now, for the last time." Ramsley growled. "Goodnight, Mr. Evers."

And with a single thrust of his arm, he threw Jim right through the window and out into the stormy night.

XXXXX

"Everything will be taken care of, love." Edward promised me as we hurried down the corridor arm in arm towards my room. "I'll have Emma fetch your mother's gown and she and Ezra will help you get ready."

"What about the Evers?" I inquired.

An anxious knot was forming in my stomach as I contemplated how on earth I was going to explain all of this to them.

Edward looked wary as we came to a stop outside my bedroom door.

"What about them?"

"They need to know what's happening." I reasoned with him.

His lips pressed together in a grim line as a skeptical expression came over him, and I reached the understanding that my mention of the Evers family had aggravated him far more than I expected it would.

"Edward?" I shifted to stand in front of him. "What's wrong?"

He released an uneasy breath.

"Elizabeth…I'm not sure we should tell them." He admitted.

The confession startled me. I took a step forward, peering directly into his eyes to try and determine if he was serious.

"What are you saying? They're my family, why shouldn't we tell them?" I asserted my feelings on the matter.

"That's exactly the point, my darling! They're not your family. _We_ are. Myself, and Emma and Ezra – we're the ones who truly know you. You're not Emilia anymore. The version of you that they knew is gone."

"But she's not, Edward." I explained. "Emilia is still a part of me, just as I was always a part of her. Just because I couldn't remember this part of my life, it doesn't give the life I lived with the Evers any less value…and they've been good to me, Edward. They took me in. They cared for me. So, yes, I consider them my family just as much as I consider you and Emma and Ezra my family…but that doesn't diminish my love for any of you."

"Of course not, love. But that's not what worries me." He surprised me once again.

"Then what?" I asked more insistently.

For a moment, it seemed like he might not answer as he let out a huff of air and looked down at the ground, and when he tried to take hold of my hands, I put up some resistance. My stubborn refusal to accept his grasp finally made him look up at me in vexation.

"Tell me." I commanded.

He sighed.

"Elizabeth, I know that you care for them, and I'm extremely grateful that they were there for you when I couldn't be, but how do you expect them to take this? Not only will they have to accept that you're not who they think you are, but that, somehow, after less than twelve hours here, you've agreed to marry a man that – to their knowledge, at least – you'd never met until tonight. Who happens to be a ghost, might I add. Oh, and let's not forget that tiny little detail about you killing yourself tonight. I'm sure they'll be thrilled about that." He spoke these last words dryly, making his uncertainty regarding my decision clear.

I smirked up at him, finally reaching out and taking his hands in mine, much to his relief.

"Well, it's a good thing I won't be telling them all this alone then, isn't it?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "That is to say…you will help me explain it to them, won't you?"

He looked at me a moment, then sighed again and nodded.

"If that is your wish. But…may I offer my own condition?"

"If that is your wish." I copied him.

A quiet laugh rumbled in his chest as he raised my hands to his lips and kissed them, but then his expression grew solemn.

"We'll tell the Evers everything, as you desire…but, please, Elizabeth, allow us to wait until after we're married." He entreated me.

At my bewildered look, he went on to explain.

"I know what it's like to lose someone you love, Elizabeth, and if my instinct is correct then something tells me the Evers won't approve of you wanting to marry me, especially if they learn you intend to stay here and die. If you do decide to go with them, I won't stop you, but…please, love, allow me the happiness of being able to call you mine, even for a moment. I would let you go gladly if I could know what it feels like to marry you."

With every word out of his mouth, my heart grew heavier and heavier. After everything he had been through to be with me again, here he was telling me that he'd willingly give me up for the sake of the Evers and their own desire for my well-being. My chest swelled with adoration for the man before me as I stood on my toes to speak in his ear.

"Oh, Edward." I proclaimed. "I swear to you, no matter what they say, I would never, ever leave you. I hope you know that. But…"

I pulled back to meet his eyes.

"…I understand. And I agree."

His face lit up.

"Truly?"

"Truly." I swore to him. "After we're married, we'll tell them the truth about everything, and then…then I'll take the poison."

"Darling, you don't have to – "

"Do we have an agreement, Mr. Gracey?" I held up my hand in front of his face as if expecting him to shake it.

Instead, he caught me by my waist and unexpectedly dipped me backwards, leaving me clutching onto him for dear life as he beamed down at me and let me dangle mere inches from the floor.

"I believe we do, Ms. Henshaw." He finally answered.

We stared at each other for a few breathless seconds until he lifted me upright again and released me.

"In the meantime, I believe we both have a wedding to prepare for."

The mere thought of it made my stomach swim with butterflies and my cheeks go a bright shade of pink.

"That we do." I nodded.

He chuckled softly and brushed a strand of hair back from my ear, which only made my nerves even more incontrollable.

"I'll meet you at the top of the ballroom staircase in one hour." He promised me.

"I'll try not to be late." I teased, giving him a small curtsy.

"Don't worry." He grinned. "I'll have Ramsley on stand-by in case you get lost."

My breath hitched.

All mirth was instantly banished from my mind at the sound of that one name.

 _Ramsley._

"Until then, Ms. Henshaw."

Edward was smiling as he swiftly pecked my cheek, but I hardly registered it, nor did I notice him make his way back down the corridor until I realized that I was completely alone.

 _Ramsley…_

My blood ran cold, my vision began to blur, and everything inside me clenched in terror as the memories behind that locked door in my head began to pound against it with a ferocity that made me dread what they had to reveal about the nature of my death.

Dazedly, my hand searched for the doorknob to my room, and when I found it, I barely managed to get the door open, I was trembling so badly.

" _Might I speak with you in the library, Ms. Henshaw?"_

Through the cracks in my memory came words and images that made it hard to breathe.

" _If running away is what you both wish, then I shall assist you in the best way that I can."_

The rasping voice I knew far too well continued to utter haunting words in my ear as I stumbled across the room to my old vanity, leaning heavily against it as I tried to control my shaking and my racing heart.

" _A toast, Ms. Henshaw."_

 _A chalice…filled with poisoned wine…_

" _To Master Edward Gracey."_

 _And I was falling._

 _Choking._

 _Dying._

" _Goodnight, Ms. Henshaw."_

And suddenly it was all there.

Every terrible, awful, agonizing second of that night came screaming back to me, and at long last, I knew why Edward's story had seemed so wrong. I _had_ agreed to elope with him. Before the ball, I had gone to his room and slipped my letter beneath his door…a letter which he never got to read. Instead, he'd received a false suicide note, written by the very person who – at the moment he'd been reading it – had been downstairs handing me a poisoned cup.

I hadn't killed myself as everyone believed. I'd been murdered.

And as I raised my head to the mirror in frantic realization, my eyes met the cold, vicious stare of my murderer.

"You!"

XXXXX

 **CLIFFHANGER! You are all wonderful human beings! I'll have another chapter up next week!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	12. Old Friends

**Oh my word, y'all my schedule just got reeeeaaal busy. I shall work diligently to keep getting chapters up in a timely manner, but please forgive me if there's a bit of a delay on the next few of them. On that note, thank you to CCangel, HyacinthQueen13, grapejuice101, and withloveee for your delightful reviews! They never cease to bring me joy! And thank you to Girl-of-1000-fandoms** **for following this story! It's a delight to have you with us!**

 **Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish the Haunted Mansion were mine, but alas, tis not.**

XXXXX

"AAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGHHH!"

Jim's arms and legs flailed helplessly as he tumbled from the mansion's tower, searching frantically for a means of stopping, or at least slowing, his descent.

 _Lord, let me live!_

Even with the air rushing in his ears and the near certainty that he was approaching death's door, all Jim could think about was his poor family, still trapped inside the mansion and now at the mercy of a sadistic ghost who he knew would have no qualms about hurting them should it suit his needs. Emmy, the kids, Sara…

 _Oh, Sara. I'm sorry I wasn't a better husband to you. I'm sorry that –_

BANG!

His inner soliloquy was abruptly cut off when he hit the glass roof of the conservatory, and it took him a stunned second to realize that, though his front would be thoroughly bruised in the morning, he had miraculously survived the fall. Hell, he hadn't even broken a bone. But his reprieve was short-lived, for just as soon as Jim felt he was secure in his position, he began to slowly slide backwards, the earlier rain having made the glass slipperier than usual.

Again, there was the terrifying sensation of falling. And then, with a painful crash, he landed on the hood of his car, setting off its many alarms in the process.

Jim lay there a moment, trying to force air back into his lungs and get his abused muscles working again, which was no easy task considering that it felt like he'd been both hit by a train and stabbed by a thousand not-so-tiny needles at the same time. With one last drop, he rolled off the car and onto the ground, gripping his pounding head in an attempt to shield himself from the chaos going on around him.

SLAM!

His head shot up.

SLAM!

The windows.

SLAM!

They were all slamming shut.

SLAM!

One by one, the shutters and doors all closed, and for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Jim was powerless to do anything to stop it.

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

The last shutter whacked shut with a resounding finality, leaving Jim officially locked out of the mansion.

XXXXX

"You!"

I whirled around to face the devil that had been the cause of all this, any fear I'd ever felt towards him immediately replaced with a burning rage as he stared back at me unashamedly, the corner of his mouth twisted upwards in a mocking grin.

"So, you remember after all." He sneered.

Before I could even think about what I was doing, my feet carried me rapidly across the floor, and my fist raised to strike him where he'd once struck me so many times. Unfortunately, my gut reaction ended up not being the wisest decision.

As soon as my fist flew towards him, his own hand shot up and caught it in a grip so unnaturally strong that I couldn't stop from whimpering in pain, embarrassing as it was to be put in such a compromising position. Ramsley stared at me almost disappointedly.

"It's a shame that your education has had little effect on your intelligence, Ms. Henshaw." He drawled.

His hold on me tightened and I gasped at the excruciating strain on my fingers and wrist, quite sure that if he squeezed any harder, he could easily break them.

"You bastard!" I snarled at him, gritting my teeth together. "You killed me!"

At last, he released me, shoving me to the floor with the same supernatural strength.

 _This really doesn't bode well for me_ , I fretted, cradling my injured hand.

"It was a mercy killing." He replied.

My eyes widened in outrage.

"A mercy killing?!"

"Oh, not for you, of course. For the master. If you two had run away together, as you so foolishly agreed to, your sham marriage would have destroyed everything I built that boy up to be, and I could not allow that to happen."

"But it was _you_ who destroyed him! _You're_ the one who started the curse and trapped everyone here!" I accused him, climbing to my feet.

If my words angered him, he did a good job of hiding it, but when he spoke again, his voice was dangerously low.

"I did not foresee that your death would lead Master Edward to suicide. That was not supposed to be his fate." He glowered.

"No." I shook my head. "You thought you'd be able to control him again. You thought he would move on."

His hollow eyes stared into mine and I stared right back.

"I never understood what it was that he saw in you, Ms. Henshaw – a spoiled, greedy, rebellious little slave girl. He deserved far better, and I intended to prove it to him."

"A beautiful, white heiress from a wealthy, respectable family, right? And you faithfully at his side. Well, you were wrong. You were so _, so_ wr - !"

A strangled cry jumped from my mouth as his gloved hand shot towards me, wrapping like a snake around my throat and shoving me up against the wall, unable to move and increasingly unable to breathe.

"I KNOW MY MISTAKES!" He howled at me. "Believe me, I have spent the last _hundred and twenty-two years_ paying for them!"

My fingers scratched ruthlessly at his wrists, but to my deep chagrin, he hardly even noticed.

"I _curse_ the day you entered this house, and I curse myself for ever letting a willful little wretch like you get the better of me, even in death!"

I could see a fire that would rival the savage pits of hell in his half-mad stare.

"But now…that's all about to change."

His hand retracted from my neck and I collapsed on the ground, coughing and wheezing for breath while my shaking limbs tried to keep me upright. Wearily, I looked up at Ramsley.

"What are you going to do? If you harm me, Edward will know it was you. He'll never trust you again, and the curse will never be broken." I threatened.

He let out a scoff.

"If things had gone according to plan, you never would have set foot back in Gracey Manor. But, of course, that damned, foolish woman wouldn't listen to me. Oh, no. She simply had to drag the rest of you along with her."

The reasoning behind his actions gradually started to piece itself together.

"…That's why you invited Sara here, isn't it?" I realized. "You knew she wasn't the one, but you figured that as long as Edward _believed_ she was, then that would be good enough to lift the curse, right? It didn't matter who it was…as long as it was anyone but me."

I took his silence as confirmation.

"So, what do you intend to do with me?" I demanded.

Calmly, Ramsley began to pace back and forth across the floor.

"As severely as it wounds me to say this, Ms. Henshaw, it would seem that the only way out of this blasted curse is for you and the master to be together after all. So be it, then. You will prepare for the wedding as planned. You will meet Edward in the ballroom and we shall go through with the ceremony. But understand this; under no circumstances will you reveal the truth of your death to him. You _will not speak_ to him during the ceremony unless you are spoken to, and when the curse is finally broken, all that happened that night shall die along with you. Is that perfectly clear?"

He stopped his pacing to look at me expectantly, and I gaped at him in disbelieving anger.

With a straight face, he thought he could order me not to tell Edward that the man he considered a father had not only betrayed him, but had done so by murdering me.

"Are you insane?" I choked out, staggering to a standing position. "What on earth makes you think that I'd be willing to go along with this?!"

"I think you'll find there's little choice in the matter." He told me plainly.

"Why?! What reason do I have not to tell Edward everything right now?"

The expression on his face made me suddenly wish I hadn't asked.

"Because one word from that throat of yours, Ms. Henshaw…"

I watched him cautiously as he walked over to my vanity mirror and gestured to the image that began to form inside it. My knees nearly buckled beneath me.

 _No._

"...and your young friends won't live to see the light of day."

In the mirror, I could see Megan and Michael trapped in a small, dark space, their faces filled with terror as they screamed out for help.

" _Mom! Dad! Help!"_

" _Help us!"_

Ignoring the butler's sickening amusement, I ran forward and pressed my hands desperately against the glass.

"Megan! Michael! Hold on!" I tried to call to them.

"They can't hear you."

Their image faded away and I whipped around to glare seethingly at the monster beside me.

"Don't you dare hurt them!" I shrieked in pure fury.

"Of course not, my dear. But that is entirely up to you. If not…I really do fear for the children."

Never, in my wildest dreams, did I imagine it was possible to feel so much hatred towards one man. Even as my mind raced to find a solution – _any way_ to get Edward the truth without bringing harm to the kids– I knew Ramsley had already won. There was no way I could risk Michael and Megan's safety. Not with him.

What moments ago had been the greatest night of my life had now been warped into something bitter and cruel.

 _It can't end this way!_ My mind cried adamantly. _He can't get away with this!_

"Do try and look a bit more cheerful when you go to meet the master." Ramsley jeered. "It is your wedding night, after all."

The rage boiling within me begged me to do something as he leisurely made his way to the door – to shout, to weep, to throw anything and everything I could get my hands on at his back – but my brain knew that it would be utterly useless.

 _Just like you,_ I inwardly scorned myself.

All I could do was watch defeatedly as he stepped out into the hallway and banged the door shut, leaving me alone in my wretchedness.

 _Oh, God. I feel sick._

I dashed for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time before emptying the contents of my stomach into the bowl, and when that was done, I slid onto the floor, tilted my head back, and let out a long, piercing, anguished scream.

The sheer hopelessness of my situation weighed down on me like a heavy chain.

It was all for nothing.

All the years of torment Edward and I had endured to be together, the pain _others_ had experienced trying to help us, even our deaths…all they had succeeded in doing was ruining the lives of everyone in Gracey Manor. Ramsley was right along.

I had destroyed everything.

As I let myself drown in misery, I failed to notice that two other people had entered the room and were now watching me with wide, hopeful, yet pity-filled eyes. That is, until one of them spoke.

"Elizabeth?"

XXXXX

"OPEN UP! HEY! LET ME IN!"

Jim pounded furiously against the conservatory windows, which were so dark he wondered if the creepy old butler had even managed to block his ability to see inside of them.

Quickly recognizing that yelling was getting him nowhere, he observed his surroundings for something large and heavy to break the glass, and his gaze drifted downwards to the support beams holding up the conservatory's outer railing. Several times, he rammed his foot against it, and its decrepit nature helped him loosen it enough to wrench it into his hands.

 _Here goes nothing_ , he thought, swinging the beam back.

With a noise like a battle cry, he thrust his weapon against the window, which shattered, but, to his great misery, instantly repaired itself, the cracks fading away almost as soon as they had formed. Over and over again, he smashed the window with the beam, and every time he got the same result.

 _Come on! COME ON!_

Jim had to get inside, he just had to.

He couldn't fail them again.

XXXXX

" _Do you think she'll be alright?"_

" _I hope so. Must've been quite a nasty fall."_

A splitting ache in Sara's skull was the first thing she was aware of as she came to, letting out a low groan.

"Oh, she's waking up already!"

"Can you hear us, Mrs. Evers? Are you alright?"

The second thing Sara was aware of was the two bell-like voices speaking above her, which her jumbled mind worked hard to place, only to come to the conclusion that they didn't belong to anyone in the mansion that she knew of. This made her nervous.

"She does look a bit like Lizzie, doesn't she?"

"A little, I suppose. I still don't know how Edward could have thought it was her, though. Her face is much sharper."

Her mysterious companions didn't sound hostile, but all the same, the last thing Sara wanted was to be caught in a vulnerable position by two people she didn't know. With some effort, she dragged her eyes open.

"Jamie! She's awake!"

Kneeling over her were two young ladies, who were so alike in appearance they couldn't be anything other than twins. Their blonde curls bounced daintily against their cheeks as their big blue eyes stared down at her, one pair of which was filled with excitement, the other of which held more concern.

"Don't be alarmed, Mrs. Evers. We're here to help you." The more worried of the two said.

"Who are you?" Sara mumbled drowsily. "Where…Where's Jim?"

The last thing Sara remembered was her husband trying to face up against Ramsley, and losing terribly. What had happened to her family?

"He's okay for now." The woman said.

"For now?" Sara didn't like the sound of that.

"Trust us, he's in a lot safer of a place than you and your children currently are." The other woman said, resulting in the first woman whacking her hard across the shoulder.

"You mean the kids aren't with him?" Sara frowned, looking back and forth between them.

The more they told her, the less she trusted them. The first woman shot her companion a sharp glare and turned to Sarah with a sigh.

"Look, they're not hurt, Mrs. Evers, but there's not much we can do to help them right now. We need you to trust us."

"Trust you?" She repeated dubiously. "I don't even know you! Where are my kids? What's going on? What's happened to Jim?"

She made to stand to her feet, but the women both stopped her, gripping onto her shoulders to keep her in place.

"Please, calm down, Mrs. Evers!" The second woman pleaded.

"We can explain everything, but we have to be quick about it. Ramsley doesn't know we're here yet." The first woman explained.

Sara's struggling ceased at the mention of the butler, and she finally looked into the pleading faces of the two women. They seemed genuine enough…

"Then start talking." She ordered them, still holding onto her suspicions.

"For starters, my name's Jamie, and this is my twin sister, Aggie." The first woman began. "We're Edward's cousins."

"And Elizabeth's friends." Aggie piped up.

"Then why haven't I seen you before? Why didn't Mr. Gracey mention you?" Sara questioned them.

"We're not trapped under the curse like he and the others are." Aggie spoke. "When we died, we were given a choice."

"The choice to move on, or to return here and help the others." Jamie revealed.

"Well, of course, the choice was easy. We both loved Edward and Lizzie so dearly – "

"We just knew we had to do everything we could for them."

They spoke earnestly enough for Sara to believe that what they were saying was true, but that didn't lessen the number of questions that remained unanswered.

"That doesn't explain why I've never seen you." She pointed out.

Jamie nodded.

"There was a condition for our return. The nature of the curse prevented us from being able to speak to Edward directly, so for the past hundred years we've been confined to wander these halls in pure spirit form, waiting just like the others for Lizzie to come home."

"And then all of you showed up and we knew that tonight was the night!" Aggie beamed. "We haven't been this excited since the day we heard that Edward had proposed!"

"Wait a minute." Sara put up a hand to pause them. "You said that all this time you've been trapped in spirit form. So how are you standing before me the way you are now? Why were you released?"

"You mean, you don't know?" Aggie looked at her in astonishment.

Sara shook her head and the sisters exchanged a glance.

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" Jamie asked.

"Tell me what?" Sara pushed them.

There was strange anticipation on Aggie's face as she leaned in close to answer, and Sara nervously leaned backwards, trying to keep a safe distance between them.

"She's back, Mrs. Evers. Elizabeth is back."

For as simple as the statement was, Sara wasn't quite sure how to react to it.

"What does that mean, 'she's back'?" She pressed. "What about Emilia?"

"In a way, they're one and the same." Jamie told her.

"At her core, she is and always has been Elizabeth, and, as a result, that part of her is much stronger than the part that is Emilia. But she has memories of both." Aggie clarified.

"So then…she really is here to break the curse? And she and Mr. Gracey…"

"Love each other very much." Jamie confirmed with a smile.

All the consequences of this new development began to play themselves out in front of Sara's eyes, and of all the problems that were being presented to her, one troubled her far more than the others.

"But...Emilia still has a whole life to live! She's about to graduate from college! He can't expect her to give everything up just to stay here and live in the past." She argued.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Evers, the past isn't past anymore." Jamie responded. "Now, we've already wasted too much time sitting around and talking. If you want to help your family, then the best thing you can do is come with us."

She held out her hand.

Though thoroughly unsatisfied with the answers she'd received, Sara's main priority was finding out what had happened to her children and Jim, and so she accepted Jamie's assistance in getting to her feet and followed the twins in making a swift and hasty exit from the confines of the attic.

XXXXX

 **IT'S ALL GOING DOWN. EEEEEEE! I also sincerely apologize that Ramsley did not get the butt-whooping y'all were hoping for, but right now, he's the one with all the power. Good things are coming, I swear!**

 ** _Elactress_**


	13. Something Wrong

**HELLOOOOOO READERS! OH MY WORD, IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I'VE POSTED A CHAPTER. I'M SO, SO SORRY. I am happy to be back with A Tale to Conquer Time after a month-long hiatus! I swear the next chapter will be up much, much sooner!**

 **Thank you to AlleyCAT19, CCangel, withloveee, Miriam Who, and Child of Dreams for your reviews/follows/favorites, and TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT.**

 **Disclaimer: I blame Ramsley for my not owning the Haunted Mansion rights.**

XXXXX

My head shot up with a gasp.

Standing in front of me was a pair of instantly recognizable figures, whose features held a mix of both anticipation and apprehension, as if they were waiting to be disappointed. I, on the other hand, had never been happier to see them.

"Emma…Ezra!"

The second their names were out of my mouth, their eyes lit up in elation, and before they could utter a single word, I had leapt up to my feet and thrown my arms around Emma's neck, an embrace that I felt her immediately return, and when Ezra's trembling hand began to stroke my hair, I couldn't hold in my tears.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped out. "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Shhh! It's okay, Elizabeth! It's okay!" Emma's voice warbled as she tried to calm me.

It seemed like an eternity we stood there, reveling in one another's presence. In my ears, I could hear Emma trying to hold back from weeping profusely, and when I pulled away to eagerly take in their faces, even Ezra was teary-eyed.

"I didn't do it." The words flowed freely from my lips. "I didn't kill myself, I swear it!"

"Oh, Elizabeth, we know." Emma hushed me.

"I didn't mean to leave you!" I blubbered, like a child trying to defend herself.

"We know, my dear. It's alright." Ezra spoke gently. "And we know what that lowlife rat is making you do."

My brief happiness at being reunited with the two of them was turned to ashes in my mouth as I was once more confronted with the insurmountable impossibility of my current predicament.

"How can I stop this? There has to be some way to tell Edward the truth!" I beseeched them. "You two are ghosts! Can't you get to him?"

"No good. Ramsley is watching all of us too closely. He'd kill those children in an instant if we went anywhere near Master Edward." Ezra explained.

"So, what can we do?" I looked between them, praying that they had an answer.

"Right now?" Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Nothing."

His reply startled me.

"Nothing?" I repeated.

 _They can't be giving up!_

"Ezra is right, Elizabeth. The only thing we can do right now to keep Ramsley pacified is get you ready for your wedding." Emma said apologetically.

"However…" Ezra nudged her.

She nodded.

"However…there's been an unexpected development. One that works to our advantage. It turns out that you're not the only one to return to Gracey Manor tonight."

 _That_ made me pause. There were many people I'd known in my time living here, but two faces in particular were the first to pop into my head, and I found myself hoping with everything inside my tattered heart that my intuition was right.

"What are you saying? Who else is here?" I pressed.

"Who do you think?" Ezra grinned in a way that seemed to confirm my suspicions. "The girls, of course!"

In that moment, I wanted to both cry out in exhilaration and burst into tears.

 _Jamie and Aggie._

Edward's failure to mention them after my memories returned had led me to believe that the only way I'd ever see them again was in death, but tonight, it seemed that the fates had decided to turn to turn the tables in my favor. Things didn't appear so hopeless anymore.

"Aggie and Jamie are really here?" I breathed out.

"And they're already doing what they can to help the Evers." Ezra disclosed.

"Sara is with them now. As soon as they've found Jim and rescued the children, they'll head straight for the ballroom, and we'll take down Ramsley once and for all." Emma beamed triumphantly.

I was speechless. Yet again, so many people were putting their safety on the line to help me, when all I had done in return was gotten them caught up in a spell that they had nothing to do with. A dark part of me questioned if their loyalty to me was worth the price they were paying.

But I was comforted by the thought that if all went as I was praying it did, then tonight, at long last, I would be able to return the favor.

"Well, then," I declared with an air of finality, "I suppose we have a wedding to get to."

XXXXX

Almost exactly one hour later, I was sitting in front of my vanity mirror and staring at an image that I knew only from vague descriptions and nearly forgotten memories.

"Wow." I murmured to myself.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

Ezra had excused himself from the room earlier to allow her to help me change, and so it was just the two of us now, me trying to remain as still as possible while she nimbly pinned my dark curls atop my head.

"Nothing." I replied. "It's just…this is the first time I've ever really thought I looked like my mother."

The dress was the one thing in the mansion that seemed to have been untouched by time. Its flowing skirts and lacey designs were still completely intact, its white fabric practically glowed against my dark skin, and every single diamond embedded in the midriff shone with the same brilliance they had when last the dress had been in my possession. Anyone could see that it had been well taken care of over the years, and there was little doubt in my mind about who had ensured that it was so.

"I'm sure that she and your father would be very happy for you." Emma smiled gently. "And I _know_ that Edward will hardly be able to contain himself the minute he sees you."

Her smile turned into a sly grin and we both giggled childishly, allowing me to pretend, for just one instant, that everything was as it should be.

That a happy ending was possible.

But our bliss was interrupted by a sharp rapping at the door, and I watched through the mirror as Ezra slipped swiftly inside the room, dressed in a dark cloak and top hat.

"Pardon me, ladies, but the time is– " He started, but his voice faltered as he took in my appearance. "…Good God, my dear. I never thought I'd see the day you wore that dress."

"Neither did I." I joked morbidly.

It was bitterly ironic that now that it was finally here, I'd do almost anything to stop it. Emma must have heard the saltiness in my voice, for she scoldingly patted my cheek and turned my face towards her.

"None of that now." She instructed. "No matter what happens here tonight, let's at least be grateful that we're having this moment at all."

I bit my lip and turned silently back to the mirror in shame as I realize my own self-pitying attitude, and tried to refocus my attention on the problem at hand as Emma delicately lifted a silver tiara to tuck into my hair.

This was it. For better or for worse, tonight was the night that the truth – which I'd so stubbornly (and perhaps recklessly) concealed for so long – would finally be unleashed, and all of Ramsley's terrible deeds with it.

But that brought on a far more serious dilemma.

For the moment that Ramsley realized what we intended to do, we would all be in grave danger.

"Emma, Ezra." I began carefully. "I need you to promise me something."

Emma finished maneuvering the crown into my thick curls and looked up to meet my gaze in the mirror. When she saw the resolute expression on my face, however, her lips curved into a frown that matched her husband's.

"What promise?" She enquired.

They weren't going to like this.

I took a deep breath.

"Whatever happens tonight with Ramsley, no matter what he tries to do, I want you to make sure that the Evers are safe above all else. And that includes me."

"Elizabeth!" Ezra protested.

I twisted in my seat to glare at him sternly.

"I mean it, Ezra. This fight is between Edward, Ramsley, and I. I will not drag you two into this, and I most definitely will not drag the Evers into this…at least not any more than I already have." I acknowledged bitterly.

It was the Evers' involvement with me that had gotten them caught in this nightmare and was now putting all of their lives at risk. If anything happened to them…well…then drinking that poison would be the easiest thing in the world.

"If things go badly," I continued, fully expecting that they would, "then you need to promise me that the first thing you'll do is get the Evers out safely."

This wasn't something I was willing to budge on, and my features must have shown it, for though the couple looked initially dead set on objecting, their expressions gradually turned to those of begrudging acceptance, and they both nodded.

"If that is what you wish, my dear." Ezra grimaced. "We promise."

I bowed my head in thanks and shifted back to the mirror as Emma grabbed my veil, her jaw clenched in displeasure at the oath I'd sworn her and Ezra to, but it couldn't be helped.

There was far too much that could be lost tonight, and I'd be damned if I didn't do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.

 _Jim, Sara…wherever you are…please stay safe._

XXXXX

For Jim, it was all over.

He had kicked and yelled and begged and beat, but no matter how hard he tried, there appeared to be no way to get back into Gracey Manor. There was no hope.

And so, that was how he now found himself slumped defeatedly up against his thoroughly battered vehicle, waiting for an answer (or the end; whichever came first, really). In his state of misery, Jim dazedly remembered the watch that rested securely in his jacket pocket, and he pulled it out, cradling it in his hand and staring wretchedly down at what he realized may be the only thing left of his family.

And it was all his fault.

This thought repeated itself in his head over and over, driving him further and further into despair. If he'd just listened to Sara – listened to his own _wife_ – if he hadn't been so damn focused on work…they'd be safe at the lake right now, roasting marshmallows around a campfire. Instead, his kids had been kidnapped, Emmy was about to be killed, and Sara…he didn't even know where Sara was, or if she was okay.

All he knew was that he'd failed.

He'd failed them all.

" _What are you doing?"_

 _Oh no._

Jim was in no mood to deal with the gypsy's antics. Wearily, he turned his head to the side and saw her crystal ball sitting on the ground next to him. He didn't even bother questioning how she'd gotten there.

"Hey, you leave me alone." He pointed his finger warningly at her. "Just get out of here and leave me alone."

The gypsy stared at him unforgivingly.

" _Oh, I see. You're just gonna sit there feeling sorry for yourself."_

"You tell me why not. This whole thing was my fault. We should've never been here in the first place. We're supposed to be at the lake. We'd be sitting by a warm fire right now." He mumbled and closed his eyes, as if doing so would make the whole night nothing but a bad dream. "And I made us come here. And now it's too late."

He half-expected the gypsy to agree with him, so what she said next was surprising.

" _No. It's never too late."_

Her unexpected encouragement left him unsure how to respond, so he spoke a little more sharply than he should have.

"Look, I tried to get in there and I can't, alright?" He reasoned. "I tried! I failed!"

Madame Leota wasn't having it.

" _You try, you fail. You try, you fail. But the only true failure is when you stop trying."_ She drawled.

"What do you want me to do? Huh?" Jim challenged her.

She stared at him intently.

" _Try again."_

XXXXX

Emma's arm looped through mine was the only thing keeping me sensible as she and I approached the armor-guarded hallway leading to the ballroom, where I knew Edward was waiting for me, blissfully oblivious to the ruthless dealings that had occurred in the hour since we'd seen each other. I was both anticipating and dreading our second reunion of the night.

There was the fervent hope within me that Emma and Ezra were right, and that Jamie and Aggie really would be able to save the day at the last minute, but…until then…how was I going to get through this?

This was supposed to be my wedding night.

Edward was going to be standing on the other side of those doors, smiling that beautiful smile of his, truly believing that we were about to get our happily ever after, and I was going to have to walk down that aisle pretending that nothing was wrong while wanting nothing more than to run to him and reveal that this entire thing was a sham. It wasn't fair, to him or to me.

 _Dear God, please give us some happiness for once._

Just as we reached the archway under the clock, Emma suddenly tensed at my side, causing me to look up at her confusedly.

"Emma? What's –"

"Don't panic, alright?" She cut me off quickly, her eyes wide and staring straight towards the ballroom doors.

My eyes followed her gaze curiously, and when I saw what she was staring at, my entire body lunged impulsively forward, forcing Emma to throw her arms around my waist and hold me back with all of her might as I let out a strangled cry of hatred.

At the end of the hallway, a chest was hanging by a chain from the ceiling, from which I could hear the muffled shouts of Megan and Michael calling for help.

"Let me go! Let me help them!" I struggled ferociously against Emma's grip.

"Elizabeth, stop! He's trying to taunt you! Look! Look at the guards!" She pleaded in my ear.

I didn't turn my head, but in my periphery, I could see that all the helmets on the armor, which had previously looked straight ahead, were now turned directly towards me, as if daring me to make a move against them.

Now I understood.

"That bastard." I growled as Emma hurriedly smoothed my dress out to make me once again presentable.

This was a power play. What better way was there for Ramsley to declare victory than to use two innocent children as a trophy and flaunt them in front of me. To bring me so close to them and still leave me unable to save them. He really was inhuman.

Emma held my arm tightly against her as we slowly made our way towards the ballroom doors, the guards' helmets watching our every move as we approached the chest and heard the children's cries grow louder.

"Mom! Dad!"

"Help us! Mom! Emmy!"

Their pleas were unbearable to listen to as we passed by them, but when I reached out a hand towards the box and opened my mouth to comfort them, the guard nearest to us abruptly swung his sword down in front of me, barely missing my fingers, and getting across the clear message that I wasn't to go near them.

My heart leapt up to my throat as the discordant blast of the organ from the room beyond signaled my cue, and we heard Ezra play the first few chords of the Wedding March.

"Ready?" Emma asked.

"No." I replied immediately.

And with that, the doors swung open.

Emma and I took the first few steps into the center of the ballroom side by side, then, when we turned to face the staircase, she slipped her arm out of mine, lingering back a pace so that I could make my walk up the aisle – my last few steps as an unmarried woman – alone.

I did have to admit, it was beautiful. Everything I could have hoped it would be, in fact.

The staircase had been decorated with strands of gorgeous white flowers, the path was lined with dozens upon dozens of softly glowing candles, and with me I had the two people that I most would have wanted to witness this event.

But then I saw him.

Coming down the curve of the staircase from behind the organ was Edward, dressed in a fine silver suit with a sword at his side and his dark hair elegantly slicked back. He was so handsome it made my chest ache. His gaze found mine immediately, and the absolute ecstasy that came over his features – the complete adoration with which he looked at me – made me summon every ounce of strength in my body to keep from running the rest of the way and straight into his arms.

Never before had I seen him so happy. And it was this realization that sent the first tear dribbling down my cheek.

 _This isn't right._

Try as I might, I couldn't stop the wet drops that continued to slip from my eyes as I drew closer and closer to the staircase, and my guilt only worsened when I saw Edward notice my distress, his smile rapidly fading into a worried confusion.

 _It's not you,_ I wanted to assure him.

But my attention was diverted to Ramsley descending the stairs behind him, now wearing black robes and holding a staff and a bible in each hand. I had to hold back a scowl as I realized he would be conducting the ceremony.

When he reached the landing, Edward turned to him questioningly, and I saw the butler's lips move in a terse response before his eyes darted down towards me to send me a warning stare, which, strangely, emboldened me.

Edward knew something was wrong.

As he turned from Ramsley to look back at me, I met his gaze steadily, silently pleading with him to see that there was something I wasn't telling him – something he desperately needed to know. For a moment, he looked uncertain. Then, he calmly stepped forward and placed his foot on the top step, offering his hand out to me.

"Elizabeth?" He whispered.

I could see it in his face; he was asking what was wrong.

Ever so discreetly, I let my eyes flicker over towards Ramsley, who regarded me with great suspicion, prompting me to hurriedly slide my hand into its rightful place in Edward's, whom I gave a weak smile.

"Yes, my love." I murmured back to him.

My fingers squeezed his tightly, and I was overcome with relief when his fingers wrapped just as firmly around mine, pulling me slightly towards him as we both turned to face Ramsley, who, thankfully, appeared not to have noticed the unspoken understanding that had passed between us.

There was something going on.

XXXXX

 **Yes, this long-awaited chapter is also a short chapter and for that, again, I apologize, but I wanted to get something up for ya'll tonight, so there you have it!**

 **Keep on keeping on, and I SWEAR the next chapter will be up very, very soon!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	14. To The Rescue

**Hello dear readers! Yes, yes, this is late, I'm sorry! We are getting so,** _ **so**_ **close to the end, so hang on tight, and here we go!**

 **Thanks to Child of Dreams, CCangel, Miriam Who, withloveee, and Sonia pantoja for your reviews, and Allie988, KelseyHeart, AllyMarie0622, and chastefairy93 for following/favoriting this story! Your support gives me much joy!**

 **Disclaimer: I plan on performing a séance to have the rights of this movie delivered to me, but, until then, it's still not mine.**

XXXXX

"She's about to do what?!"

Sara hurried down the corridor after the light-footed twins, struggling to keep pace with them as they hurriedly explained what had happened to the children, Emilia (or was it Elizabeth?), and Jim.

"It's the only way to lift the curse." Aggie glanced back at her apologetically. "If she marries Edward before she takes the poison, then her vow to him – the true promise she made that night - will be fulfilled."

"But how can he do that to her?" Sara questioned them, rather angrily.

Yes, she would have supported Emilia (Elizabeth?) remaining with Mr. Gracey if that was what made her happy, but she had also assumed that meant that the young student would simply live out the rest of her presumably long life here, not that she would be destroying it altogether.

"How can Mr. Gracey claim to love her if he's letting her throw away her only chance at a life she never got to have?" Sara argued.

At her accusation, the two girls stopped and turned to her, looking deeply hurt.

"We would never force her to do anything she didn't want to, Mrs. Evers, and neither would Edward." Jamie frowned. "He's not as selfish as you might think."

The serious offense on their faces made a sharp guilt came over Sara, and she realized she had perhaps judged them too harshly. But just as she opened her mouth to apologize, a deafening ruckus shattered the silence of the manor, one that sounded like a combination of screeching tires and breaking glass, and made the floor beneath their feet tremble.

"What in heaven's name was that?!" Aggie exclaimed.

With a quick glance at each other, all three women ran swiftly down the corridor in the direction of the great hall, for that was where the crash seemed to come from, and though none of them said it aloud, they all shared a strong suspicion as to who had caused it.

Indeed, they emerged onto the balcony over the clock just as Jim came scrambling through the library curtains, looking a little worse for the wear, but brimming with determination. His face lit up when he spotted Sara standing above him.

"Sara!" He cried out to her.

Seeing her husband unharmed made her nearly weep with relief.

"Jim!" She called back to him.

Her legs carried her as fast as they could down the steps and he rushed to meet her at the bottom, holding his arms open for her to leap into, which she did with such enthusiasm that he stumbled back a few steps. For a full minute, they clutched onto each other, both holding back tears at the knowledge of how close they'd come to losing one another.

"The next time I say we go to the lake, we go to the lake." Jim swore fervently.

Sara let out a choked laugh, pulling back to look into his face.

"I love you." She whispered.

Jim's eyes grew soft and he leaned down to press a tender kiss to her lips.

"I love you too." He murmured.

An awkward cough behind them jolted them out of the moment, and they both turned to see Jamie and Aggie standing halfway down the stairs with their arms crossed impatiently.

"Rescue now, kissing later." Jamie urged them.

"Wait, who are these ladies?" Jim looked at Sara confusedly and pointed his thumb towards the twins.

"They're Mr. Gracey's cousins. They're here to help us." Sara explained.

He glanced over at the two girls and warily looked them up and down for a moment, but any reluctance he might have had about taking on two new ghostly companions was quickly squashed by the need to rescue Emmy and the kids, so he nodded, taking Sara's hand in his.

"Well, I guess we need all the help we can get. Now, come on, we've got a wedding to crash!"

XXXXX

"Dearly beloved," Ramsley began, "we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony."

XXXXX

The small entourage of Jim, Sara, and the twins came to a screeching halt just beneath the clock as they all caught sight of the chest hanging from a chain in front of the ballroom doors, from which the weary shouts of Megan and Michael could be heard.

"Mom! Dad! Emmy!"

"Somebody!"

Sara's eyes widened with absolute horror at the sound of her children's screams, and she began to run towards them without a second thought.

"Michael! Megan!" She called out.

"Sara, wait!" Jim tried to warn her.

For in her desperation rush to reach the chest, she failed to notice that, at her cry, all of the helmets on the suits of armor had wrenched around towards her, nor did she notice, as she drew close to the first two knights, that their hands had flown up to the hilts of their weapons.

"Sara!" Jim screamed again.

He made a frantic dash towards her as the knights unsheathed their swords. The ringing of metal made Sara finally stop in her tracks just beneath them, and her mouth opened in a silent scream as she realized the position that her rash decision-making had put her in.

Even as her brain begged her to run, her feet were rooted to the spot, and as both guards began to swing their blades downwards, her eyes instinctively clenched shut.

"Sara!"

Suddenly, Jim was there, wrapping his hand tightly around her forearm and yanking her back into his chest just as the swords hit the ground where she'd been standing only seconds before with a clang that made their ears ring.

"Good heavens!" Aggie exclaimed as she and Jamie rushed to their side and gently guided the couple back to safety.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Evers?" Jamie asked her.

Sara's fingers were clutched so strongly onto Jim's arm that the tips had turned white. She released an unsteady breath and slowly nodded.

"I'm…I'm fine." She said. "But what are we going to do about the children?"

Those were _their kids_ back there. If anything happened to them…dear God, the mere thought of it made Sara want to stop breathing.

"It's alright, baby, it's alright. We'll figure this out." Jim calmed her.

He too was on the brink of panic at the thought of someone hurting Megan and Michael, but if they were going to have any chance of saving them, then he knew he had to keep a level head. Cautiously, the four of them all turned their heads to peer down the hallway, which was now teeming with the possessed soldiers, all of whom stared challengingly back at the group with their weapons drawn and ready for what would be a dismally short battle if they didn't think of something quick.

XXXXX

Edward's thumb brushing over my knuckles was all I tried to focus on as the ceremony moved rapidly forward, until it reached the point where I began to have serious doubts about whether or not the girls would make it in time.

 _Jamie, Aggie, please,_ please _, hurry!_

"Wilt thou, Edward Gracey, have this woman to be thy wedded wife? To live together after God's ordinance in the holiest state of matrimony?"

My inward fretting was momentarily interrupted as I felt my hand being raised upwards and I looked at Edward to watch him press my fingers to his lips, which, in spite of the circumstances, filled my entire being with warmth and made my own lips turn upwards in the faintest hint of a smile.

"I will." He answered huskily.

Staring into his soft, dark eyes, I could almost make myself forget all the hell we'd had to go through to come this far.

All those years we'd been separated, all the lies we'd been told, all the tears we'd shed for each other…it was a cruel twist of fate for us to be here now – so close to happiness, yet defeated all the same.

"And do you, Elizabeth Henshaw, take this man to be your lawful husband, to love and cherish in death as you did in life?"

Coming out of Ramsley's mouth, this sounded more like a command than an earnest question. But, I was glad, at least, that this question I could answer truthfully.

"I do." I spoke steadily.

The corner of Ramsley's mouth twitched, and I gained some satisfaction in knowing his displeasure at the fact that our marriage was the only way for them to be free. He looked to Edward promptingly, and I watched curiously as the latter nodded and reached his hand into his jacket to retrieve something. When he pulled his hand out a moment later, the sight of a silver ring with a large red ruby in his grasp made me cry out in stunned amazement, and I raised a shaking hand to my mouth as he turned to me with a bittersweet smile and lifted my other hand up to slide the ring into its rightful place on my finger.

"How…?" I choked out.

"I've kept it with me always." Edward revealed quietly. "I told myself that I wouldn't rest until I was able to give it back to you again."

"Oh, _Edward._ " I breathed, turning the ring over to look at our initials on the band and finding myself greatly frustrated by my previous declaration not to kiss him until we were married.

A clearing of the throat cut the moment short, however.

We both looked to Ramsley.

"It's time." He muttered darkly.

XXXXX

They were out of time.

Jamie and Aggie could sense it as they looked from the knights to each other, both struck by the exact same thought.

With a brief confirmatory nod, they turned to Jim and Sara.

"We have an idea." Aggie told them.

"Well, great! Let's hear it!" Jim encouraged.

The twins exchanged another look.

"We don't think you'll like it." Jamie warned him.

"Hey, listen now." Jim frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "We've seen just about every ghoul, ghost, and creep in this joint. So, whatever your plan is, I think we can handle it."

Aggie looked to Jamie.

"Should I do it?"

Jamie turned her head to Jim, looked him up and down, and turned back to her sister with an impish grin.

"Do it."

The high-pitched giggle that erupted from said girl's mouth and the excited little jump she gave made Jim nervous, especially when she turned towards him with eyes that were practically glowing and skipped around to stand behind him.

"You may want to stand back." Jamie advised Sara, grabbing her by the shoulders and moving them back a few paces.

"Now, don't fight me, alright? This is harder than it looks." Aggie instructed Jim.

"Don't what?" He looked back at her.

But before he was even aware of what was happening, the blonde let out a playful shriek and leapt forward, disappearing into Jim's back.

From Sara's point of view, the change was instant – in that one moment it was her husband standing before her, and in the next…well, it certainly still looked like Jim, but judging from the way his hands rose daintily to his side and the enthusiastic gleam that came over his features, it was fairly safe for her to assume that what she was looking at was indeed Aggie inside of Jim's body.

For Jim, it was a bit more complicated. The first sensation had been one of displacement, as if his soul were being pushed around and compressed and stretched and then compressed again, like a giant wad of gum. And then had come the unnerving awareness of sharing the space inside his head with another person.

 _Oof! A bit crowded in here, isn't it, Mr. Evers?_

 _What the hell did you do?!_

 _We warned you! Therefore, you've no right to complain. Now move over._

Again came the pulling and pressing sensation, only this time, it was something much more akin to being squashed up into a tiny ball and forced into a space that is much too small for you.

 _That's better! Now let's see what this thing can do, shall we?_

Sara watched in astonishment as Jim/Aggie bolted fearlessly towards the knights, the first two of which both swung towards them, only to whack each other as Jim/Aggie ducked and leapt through the narrow space between their weapons, hitting the ground in a roll and then jumping up just in time to avoid the blows of the next two knights as they struck towards their feet. Of course, barely had they had landed back on the floor when a knight wielding a spiked flail stepped in their path and went for their head, leaving Jim/Aggie less than a second to duck out of the way, much to Sara's alarm.

"Jim!" She cried.

"It's alright, Mrs. Evers!" Out of Jim's mouth came a voice that sounded like a combination of both his and Aggie's. "Everything's perfectly under control!"

It seemed she – he – _they_ __had spoken too soon, though, for in their current position on the floor, Jim/Aggie were left vulnerable to the attacks of the next knight, who came at them with a spear-like axe. As he struck downwards, Jim/Aggie just managed to dodge to the side, and then back again as he struck at them once more. On the third strike, Aggie was prepared. When the axe came towards them, she reached out with Jim's hands and latched onto the handle, so that when the knight brought his weapon back up, she was able to strike Jim's legs out and send the possessed suit of armor crashing into the wall. Unfortunately, this not only sent Jim/Aggie crashing to the floor, but also sent the axe flying into the air, right back down at them.

" _Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"_ Jim and Aggie hollered together.

Thinking fast, Aggie shot Jim's hands up, catching the handle of the axe so that it stopped a hair's breath away from chopping Jim's skull right in two.

 _Thank you…_ Jim thought dazedly.

 _You're welcome!_ Was Aggie's much too cheery response.

With a weapon of their own in hand, Jim/Aggie were ready when the last knight came charging at them with his sword raised, and they used the axe to stab through the chest plate of his armor and send him flying over their heads, where he crashed into the other suits of armor that had managed to climb back to their feet.

Aggie slipped out of Jim's body then, leaving him to shakily lower himself to his knees while she beamed at him delightedly.

"You see? That wasn't so bad!" She cheered.

A nauseous groan was the only reply Jim could conjure up as he felt his insides being stretched out and spread like bread dough under a rolling pin, so that once again he had full control over his body.

At the sound of loud clanking, however, he and Aggie raised their heads and were greeted with an unfortunate picture. The knights had reassembled themselves – although somewhat haphazardly (many were missing a limb) – and repositioned themselves in a clump around the two, blocking them off from Jamie and Sara on the other end of the hallway.

"Now what?" Jim questioned, sounding greatly winded.

"We'll take care of this." Aggie promised. "You and Sara just get to Lizzie, alright?"

She didn't wait for a response, but turned back to the possessed guards with an intensity that made Jim glad he was on her good side. And then, with a blast of blue light, she was gone.

Her spirit form zoomed past the guards with such great speed that they all crashed against the wall, where they lay apparently stunned for a moment before attempting to scramble clumsily back to their feet.

Panic struck Sara when she saw that the knights had Jim and Aggie surrounded, but as she went to help them, Jamie's hand clamped down firmly on her shoulder.

"What are you doing? They're in trouble!" She protested.

"Aggie knows what to do, Mrs. Evers. Just wait a moment, you'll see." The blonde calmed her with a knowing smirk that made Sara feel at least a little more confident in her companions.

Sure enough, only seconds later there was a bright blue flash of light from the other end of the corridor, and in the next moment they could see Aggie – in her ghost ball form – flying towards them, taking out the guards with great ease as she did so. When she reached Sara and Jamie's side, she transformed back into her human shape.

"Up for a little race, Jamie?" She raised an eyebrow at her twin.

The two girls glanced back at the knights as they gradually clambered to their feet, then Jamie looked back at Aggie and grinned giddily.

"Ready when you are." She confirmed.

"Mrs. Evers, might I recommend you take three steps to the right?" Aggie requested politely.

Sara wasted no time in obeying, and it was a good thing too, for as soon as she had moved out of the way, Jamie and Aggie both transformed once more into their ghost ball forms and took off into the mansion, one flying up the stairs while the other flew down the hall towards the servant's quarters. The knights, having seemed to decide that the twins posed a bigger threat to their mission, paid no heed to either of the Evers as they ran off after the two ghosts, leaving Sara to dash down the hallway and directly to the chest containing her children.

"Megan! Michael! It's okay, we're here!" She called to them, placing her hands on top of the chest.

"Mom! Get us out of here!"

"Sara, stand back." Jim warned her as he raised the axe up.

She did so, allowing him to bring the blade down on the chain holding the chest shut, which fell way and opened to release Megan and Michael into their parents' waiting arms.

"Mom! Dad!" Michael cried as he clutched onto his father's shoulders.

"Mom! You're okay!" Megan exclaimed as Sara held her tightly against her.

As she breathed in her daughter's scent, Sara swore to herself that she would do whatever it took to get her children out of the manor and out of harm's way. Even if that meant sacrificing her own life to do so. For she knew, whatever it was that awaited them behind the ballroom doors, they were going into the belly of the beast, and the chances of all of them being able to return from such a place alive were dismally low. She only hoped they'd be able to save Emilia – Elizabeth – whoever she was – in time.

Jim was having similar thoughts as he held onto Michael and was hit with the pain of knowing how severely he'd put his children's lives in danger – and how very close they still were to losing Emmy. It was his damn greed that had put them in this mess in the first place, and now it was his job to get them out.

 _All_ of them.

XXXXX

My heart nearly stopped when I saw the goblet full of wine and the small vile that Ramsley had gripped in his hands, and I noticed that Edward looked just as unprepared as I was.

"What is this Ramsley?" He asked, his brow furrowing. "I told you to wait until after – "

"Pardon me, sir, but Ms. Henshaw and I agreed that it would be best to get it over and done with."

These words were spoken sharply and with an air of finality that told me I was meant to keep my mouth shut and go along with it, and when Ramsley met my infuriated gaze, he returned it with a fierce glare that told me arguing would be not only useless but dangerous.

The doubt on Edward's face, however, left me anxiously wondering how I'd ever be able to convince him of this supposed change of heart, especially when we both knew it wasn't like me.

"Elizabeth," Edward turned to me gravely, "are you certain?"

I nodded quickly, fearing that any hesitance to answer on my part would be seen by both Edward and Ramsley as confirmation that my actions were done unwillingly. If Ramsley suspected for a second that something was going wrong, we were all done for.

"Yes. I…Ramsley and I were talking earlier – trying to make amends – and I realized that…that it will be better for everyone if they don't know. I don't want to hurt them." I explained feebly.

 _Damn._ My voice was shaking.

Edward stepped towards me so that we stood chest to chest and peered down into my eyes with a scrutiny that made me feel certain he could see right through me.

"You're sure that this is your decision?" He pressed. "Death isn't to be taken lightly, Elizabeth. Once you drink the poison, there's no going back."

Unwittingly, I let my gaze fall to my hands and watched as my fingers nervously played with each other.

"I'm sure." I murmured.

There was a pause. Then Edward's fingers came under my chin and tilted my face back up towards his.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that this is what you truly want." He ordered me.

My insides gave a sickening twist. If God was trying to punish me for my silence by making this process as excruciating as possible, He was succeeding marvelously.

"This is what I truly want, Edward." I spoke softly. "It's what I've always wanted."

For an exceedingly long moment, he stared at me, taking in every inch of my features and clearly trying to decide if I was lying to him or not, and I stared back at him with the most unwavering expression I could muster, both dreading what would happen if he uncovered me and praying for it.

Finally…he nodded.

I felt a great disappointment wash over me.

"Very well, darling. If that is your wish." He said.

As we both turned back to Ramsley, our hands re-latching onto each other, I did my best to hide the fact that my legs were trembling violently.

"From this day forward…" Ramsley continued, opening the vial and tipping the poison into the wine, were it immediately vanished.

 _Just as before._

"…you shall be joined together as one, for all eternity, until the very end of time."

In mute terror, I watched as Ramsley lifted the cup reverently above his head and muttered something in Latin, like a priest making a sacrifice to the gods…only in this case, the sacrifice was me.

"What God has joined together, let no man cast asunder."

My breath hitched as he brought the cup down and held it out to me, and suddenly, it was a hundred years earlier, both of us standing in the middle of the library, ready to toast to the man who only moments later would discover me dead.

This was it.

This was the end of my second life.

With pale fingers, I reached out and took the wine into my hand, while my other clasped so strongly to Edward's that it was a wonder he didn't even flinch.

"It's alright, love." He murmured comfortingly. "You're not alone this time."

 _Oh, Edward, I wish I could tell you._

My eyes flickered back to Emma and Ezra where they'd been standing on the stairs behind us as silent witnesses to the ceremony. They both gave me a sorrowful smile.

"We're with you, Elizabeth." Emma reassured me.

One last tear slipped down my face as I looked up at Edward and slowly raised the goblet to my lips, trying to prepare myself for the cold agony that was to come as the poison took its hold, stopping the beat of my heart once and for all.

Ramsley had truly won.

"If anyone had any objections – "

 _BANG!_

The goblet practically jumped out of my hands of its own accord and clattered to the floor at the unexpected sound of the doors flying open, and all of us whirled around to see not just Jim, but the entire Evers family come running into the room, safe and unharmed.

"Yeah, we got a few objections!" Jim declared.

XXXXX

 **AHHHHHHHHHHH, WE ARE SO CLOSE. The battle y'all have been asking for** _ **will**_ **be in the next chapter, so don't fret, my readers! Good things are coming!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	15. The Truth

**HELLOOOOOOO READERS! OH. MY. WORD. I am so** _ **so**_ **sorry for the long wait! But now that the holidays are here I have much more time on my hands, so I'm going to be bold and say that my goal is to have the last couple chapters of this story up by New Years' Day! THANK YOU FOR BEING SO AWESOME AND SUPPORTIVE!**

 **Special thanks to Child of Dreams, actioncatzzz, QueenLeo1994, and ToriBlock for your reviews, and to MarvelWorksWonders, Madame Body, KatieBull, and MyBeautifulInsanity for favoriting/following this fanfic!**

 **Disclaimer: Still waiting on Santa to bring me the rights to this movie.**

XXXXX

I stood stunned in silence for a moment, trying to process the sight of the Evers family all together in front of me and exactly what their presence meant.

 _They're…they're alright? But…that means…_

It was over.

Ramsley no longer held any power over me.

The wave of relief that suddenly hit me was staggering, to the point where I completely forgot about the two men standing beside me and instead let my feet carry me forward, back down the ballroom steps and towards the outstretched arms of the family I'd come extremely close to never seeing again.

"Jim! Sara! Kids!" I grinned. "You're okay!"

"Emmy!"

Michael and Megan darted forward to reach me first, and I instantly dropped to my knees to receive them both into my arms. Feeling their hands clutched onto my shoulders and their hair tickling my cheeks officially confirmed in my mind that they were safe, and I felt all of the dread that had been weighing in my heart for the last hour finally vanish, leaving me breathless as I held the two of them even more firmly to me.

"Are you hurt? What did he do to you?" I pressed them as we pulled back from each other.

"We're fine, Emmy. Really." Megan reassured me.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked.

I smiled.

"Much better now that you're here."

"Emilia."

I looked up to see Sara standing above us, and it took me all of two seconds to jump up and wrap my arms around her.

"Sara!" I exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"I'm glad you are, too." She said, her arms gently coming up around me. "But, honey…why didn't you tell us?"

I drew back to look at her, bewildered by her plea and a little uncertain as to what she was referring to, but before I could question her further about it, Jim was there, and I let myself be pulled into his secure and protective embrace. My own arms were trembling when I threw them around his neck in return.

"It's alright, Emmy. We're gonna get you out of here." He promised.

For some strange reason, Jim's use of my other name bothered me more than it did with Sara and the children. It must have shown on my face as well, because when he pulled away to check me over for injuries, his own expression abruptly shifted into one of concern, and he leaned down to peer warily into my eyes.

"Emmy?" He tried. "That is still you in there, right?"

For such a simple question, the answer was inexplicably complicated. I wasn't sure where to begin.

"Yes…and no…" I began slowly.

"Elizabeth?"

My beloved's voice behind me made me turn, and I saw that he now stood halfway down the steps, his hand held out worriedly towards me and his eyes full of caution. I felt my gut twist with guilt as I realized how my actions must have appeared to him.

"It's alright, Edward." I assured him, keeping my voice as calm and steady as possible.

Above him, Ramsley stood watching us, his face as stony and impassive as ever, but within his eyes I could see a simmering fury, just barely kept at bay, which posed a serious threat to absolutely everyone in the room. I would need to act quickly.

"Look," I turned back to the Evers, "it's difficult to explain, and we haven't got much time. You need to get out of here. Now."

"We're not going anywhere without you." Jim replied stubbornly, making me nearly want to strangle him in frustration.

 _How can I make them understand?_

"Well, you're going to have to!" I intentionally snapped at him. "I _can't_ leave, Jim! They need me here! But you, and Sara, and the kids are in danger! You have to go!"

"What, and let you marry Mr. Dead Guy over there? I don't know what they've got you thinking, but we battled a zombie army to get you out of here and that's what we're gonna do."

His hand reached out and grabbed ahold of my wrist, and as soon as he'd done so, there was a loud whoosh from behind me, followed seconds later by Edward's hand being placed atop both of ours.

"Mr. Evers, allow us to explain." He entreated.

Jim swiftly removed his hand and stepped back towards Sara, a cynical expression on his face.

"I think it's a little late for explanations." He muttered.

"What he means to say," Sara placed a scolding hand on her husband's shoulder, "is that we know about Elizabeth. And the curse."

I gaped at them in surprise.

"You do?"

"Emma and Ezra told us." Megan chimed in, and I peeked back at the two ghosts, who stood to the side of the steps and returned my look with apologetic shrugs.

"And the gypsy lady!" Michael added in, not wanting to be left out.

"Then you must understand!" Edward spoke hopefully.

His arm came around my waist and we shared a brief but tender glance before turning imploringly back to Jim and Sara.

"Elizabeth is meant to be here, with me." He petitioned them.

But Jim, of course, wasn't having it.

"This is not Elizabeth! Her name is Emilia, she's a student from New Orleans! Ramsley wants you to think she's Elizabeth so this curse will be lifted!" He insisted, much to my dismay.

"That is absurd." Ramsley's rasping voice came from behind us, and, at least in some small part, I had to agree with him.

"Jim," I slipped out of Edward's grasp and went to stand before him, "You aren't listening!"

He blatantly ignored my entreaty, gripping me by the shoulders and forcefully moving me to stand behind him before he turned back to Edward, whose eyes had darkened at Jim's physical handling of me.

"Listen man, you need to wake up!" Jim told him, while Sara, the kids, and I all looked on anxiously. "Ramsley, you tell him the truth!"

With those words, all eyes in the room were immediately upon the fiendish butler, and a shocking revelation struck me.

 _The Evers…they know what really happened._

My eyes flickered to Sara beside me, and with the smallest of nods, she verified my suspicions, leaving me in aghast wonderment of what a cruel trick of fate it was that, of all the people currently in the mansion, Edward was the only one who remained oblivious. And just how on earth, after one night in Gracey Manor, had the Evers managed to discover the truth?

"I don't know what you're talking about." Was Ramsley's hissed response.

His eyes were twitching with fury, and I knew it was more imperative than ever to get the family out of here.

"Jim, please, go!" I begged him.

Again, I was ignored.

"Oh, now you got amnesia, huh? Elizabeth didn't kill herself! He did! He's been lying to you all along!"

A strangled gasp was wrenched from my throat and my hands flew up to my mouth in disbelief at what had just come out of Jim's mouth.

After all I'd done to try and reveal the truth to Edward…after all that myself, and the Evers, and the mansion's residents had suffered through because it had remained hidden for so long…it was out. Just like that.

Hurriedly, my eyes sought out Edward's face, which I found just in time to witness a look of initial shock be replaced by a resolute dismissal.

He didn't believe it.

"Mr. Evers, I sincerely apologize for any distress I may have caused you or your family, but I will _not_ tolerate such accusations against my staff, nor your treatment of my betrothed." Edward declared, his lips pressed into a grim line and his eyes hard.

"Hey, two seconds ago you were ready to kill this girl! So don't you think I'm about to let you put one hand on her until this whole mess is sorted out!" Jim shot back.

"You would judge me so harshly, yet give me no chance to defend myself!" Edward accused him.

"What was in that cup, then, huh?!" Jim pointed condemningly at the abandoned goblet on the stairs. "If that's your way of proving love then it seems like where she _should_ be is as far away from you as possible."

"That's not your decision to make!"

Edward's hand going instinctively to the sword at his side gave my heart a little jolt of panic and I was spurred into action, quickly running out to stand between the two and placing my hands out to stop them from going at each other like feral cats.

"Enough of this foolishness! Both of you!" I ordered.

Edward seemed taken aback by the sharpness and severity of my voice, and he let the hand on his sword fall to his side, but Jim went on.

"Hey! If you're gonna kill me, kill me! But listen, when I come on the other side, I'm just gonna be whipping your ass for all eternity." He reached into his suit and retrieved an old piece of parchment from the pocket, which he then held up in front of him. "So maybe you should read this before you stab somebody. Read it!"

It was at that exact moment that I recognized the handwriting on the other side of the paper, and the magnitude of what it was Jim had in his hand left me speechless.

"What is it?" Edward asked carefully.

But as Jim opened his mouth to answer, I cut him off, snatching the parchment from his grip and hungrily taking in the words I'd put down so long ago.

This was the proof. This was the true decision I'd made that night.

In all honesty, I was relieved to have tangible affirmation of my memories, to know for certain that my death was no done by my own hand, for the thought of having willingly hurt so many of my loved ones had weighed me down with a guilt that was unbearable.

 _Yes, my dear heart, I will marry you._

Even as I read those words over and over again, I could sense a pair of eyes upon me, and I slowly raised my head up to meet Edward's agitated gaze.

"Edward," I murmured, walking towards him, "there's something you must know."

His eyes bore into mine as I came to stand before him, holding the letter out for him to take, and just as his fingers brushed the corner of the paper –

" _Enough!_ "

Suddenly, there was a hand latched around my wrist, yanking me forcibly backwards against a stiff body while my cry of protest was cut off by another hand clamping down over my mouth.

"Ramsley! What are you doing?!" Edward demanded.

His eyes uneasily met mine, and I saw a flicker of doubt within them.

"Master Gracey, the girl is obviously unwell!" Hearing that grating voice next to my ear made me shudder. "I suggest we dispose of the Evers family and postpone the wedding until Ms. Henshaw has come to her senses!"

"Take your hand off her!" Sara exclaimed.

The rage boiling beneath my skin gave me strength as I tried to twist myself out of Ramsley's hold, and my struggling eventually succeeded in freeing up my mouth enough to bite down with all of my might on his hand.

"AUGH!"

With a pained yowl, he relinquished his grasp on me, and I took the opportunity to jab my elbow directly into his ribs before dashing back to Edward and placing my hands – one with the letter still tightly clenched within it – pleadingly against his chest. It was now or never.

"Edward, I didn't kill myself!"

The words burst out with a desperation that surprised both of us, and Edward reacted immediately, staring down at me with a mix of shock and pain, as if I'd just struck him across the face. It took him several seconds to answer, and when he did, it was a single word, barely audible.

" _What?_ "

I knew that what I had to say would hurt him deeply, but there was simply no other way.

"Jim is right, Edward!" I pushed on. "It wasn't a suicide. It was a _murder._ And it was done by _his_ hand!"

I whipped my head fiercely towards Ramsley and saw that he looked ready to kill me all over again.

But it was Edward's body going completely rigid beneath my touch that drew my attention back to him. He was staring towards Ramsley now, but his eyes were glazed and unfocused, and I came to the understanding that while physically he was still here with me, his spirit was somewhere else entirely, dragged deep within the recesses of his mind, which was undoubtedly trying to come to terms with the brutality of what had been unveiled to him.

"It's true, Master!" Ezra testified from his place beside Emma.

It seemed like an eternity later when Edward's eyes cleared and flickered back to me. The lost expression on his face made him look just like the boy he'd been when we first met so many, many years ago.

"You…you were _murdered?_ "

Amidst the confusion in his features, there was a spark of outrage starting to take root, and it encouraged me to once again offer him the letter.

" _This_ is the letter I wrote to you on the night of the ball. The _real_ letter. I think it's time you finally got to read it." I gave him a bittersweet smile.

It was with an unsteady hand that he reached out to take it, and I realized he was scared – as if he already knew that this letter would change everything. Slowly, he unfolded the paper and began to read through its contents.

I thought back to when I had first written the note, how I'd pictured the joy on Edward's face when he discovered my decision. This wasn't anything like what I'd pictured.

The farther down Edward read, the more his face showed his heart breaking in two, until it got to the point where it was excruciating to have to witness. I was greatly tempted to reach out and embrace him. But by the time he reached the bottom of the page, this grief was joined by something else – something which did not bode well for Ramsley: a sickening sense of betrayal. When he lifted his head, it was to stare intensely at the butler.

"What's the meaning of this?" He choked out.

"Must we continue to listen to the ramblings of a lunatic?" Ramsley snarled.

Amazing.

After all that had been said, he was still trying to keep control of the situation. Edwards, thankfully, wasn't about to back down.

"But it is written in her hand!"

"Yeah, it's written in her hand!" Jim jumped in. "Explain that Ramsley!"

"Well?!" Edward commanded.

I couldn't help the morbid satisfaction that welled up inside of me as Ramsley's expression rapidly changed from anger to defenselessness and, finally, as he closed his eyes, resignation. We had him.

"Your union was unacceptable." He confessed. "I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen."

What was music to my ears was condemnation in Edward's. His jaw clenched in hatred as he placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me protectively behind him before stepping towards his former mentor in confrontation.

"So, you killed her." He confirmed lowly.

"I told you it would be a mistake to run away with that girl." Ramsley attempted to justify himself.

"But I love her!" Edward proclaimed. "Was love my mistake?!"

"YES!"

The butler's bellowing response stunned everyone, and the now unchecked aggression on his face had me thinking once more about getting the Evers out of here as soon as possible. I turned my head just enough to catch Emma's eyes and gave her a sharp nod, reminding her of the promise she and Ezra made to me in the bedroom. She looked upset, but nodded.

"I tried to protect you." Ramsley went on. "All those years I sacrificed for you. But what would you understand of sacrifice, duty, or honor? Well, damn you! Damn you all to _hell!_ "

With that final curse, all hell truly did break loose.

Every light in the room was snuffed out as a crack of lightning flashed in the windows, illuminating Ramsley's icy, pale eyes, and in the ensuing darkness came a god-awful screeching, as if all 999 of the mansion's trapped residents were crying out at once, ravenous for vengeance – upon whom though, I wasn't sure.

And then the windows came crashing open, and pouring through them were dozens upon dozens of shrieking wraiths. The noise was maddening. I could hardly tell where I was anymore, let alone the others.

Then, at last, I felt a familiar pair of arms encase me, and I let myself be pulled securely against Edward's chest. The sweet scent of spices on his jacket was all I tried to focus on as he bent over me, doing his best to shield me from the malevolent spirits circling around us. A frightened yelp escaped my throat as a cold hand clutched at the bottom of my dress. Automatically, I kicked my foot out, and the howling demon took off, but not before tearing off a significant scrap of my skirt in his retreat, and almost as soon as the creature was gone, another clawed hand was at the back of my throat, ripping off my veil and yanking my hair loose from its bindings.

"Get away from her!"

I could barely hear Edward's shout above me as he removed one of his arms from around me to strike at the wraith. And those two seconds was all it took for Ramsley's hand to seize my arm and snatch me out of Edward's reach.

"No! Elizabeth!" Edward's anguished voice pierced through the noise.

"Edward!" I screamed back.

Once more, my cry was stifled by a hand on my mouth, and the next sensation I felt was the nauseating motion of Ramsley and I both flying through the air, out through the window and into the stormy night.

I was on my own.

XXXXX

 **Happy Holidays!**

 **Next chapter will be up soon! (I really promise this time!)**

 _ **Elactress**_


	16. Fight for Your Life

**HAPPY NEW YEARS' EVE! I AM SO EXCITED FOR Y'ALL TO READ THIS CRAZY LONG CHAPTER SO IMMA LET YOU GET RIGHT TO IT.**

 **Thanks to CCangel, Child of Dreams, actioncatzzz, withloveee, and guest for your reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I am slowly but surely devising a master plan to – okay, yeah, still not mine.**

XXXXX

"Elizabeth!" Edward screamed out for her as she and Ramsley disappeared into the night.

He ran after them instantly, fully intending to follow, but the moment that he shifted into his ghost form, he was slammed into from the side by a shrieking wraith, and sent tumbling to the floor, where two more spirits accosted him, tearing at the sleeves of his jacket and at his face. It took him several minutes of wrestling with the creatures for Edward to finally reach his sword, and when he had it out of its sheath, he thrust it upwards and right into the belly of the wraith directly above him, which released a wail that would have made the blood of the bravest man run cold.

And with that, it vanished, crumbling into the air like dust. The other creature looked as surprised as Edward was about the effectiveness of his weapon, and it wisely chose to abandon its attack, shooting upwards and out of the reach of Edward's sword to join its brethren circling around the ceiling.

Again, Edward bolted for the window, but he was nearly brought to his knees when all of the wraiths simultaneously began to howl, creating a terrible din that had everyone's hands flying up to their ears. One by one, the demons began their descent towards the floor, flying faster and faster until the three ghosts and the Evers were trapped in a whirling vortex of them.

Still, Edward was unfazed.

He _had_ to get to Elizabeth.

With a determined shout, he dashed towards the wraiths and jabbed his sword into their midst, but they were moving so quickly; the only sign he had done any damage at all was a particularly anguished screech that rang throughout the room and then was gone. Several times he did this, stabbing his sword into the circle of spirits over and over and over again, more and more desperately, yet all to no avail. For every wraith he destroyed, there were dozens more to take its place, and so the vortex spun on.

Just as Edward raised his sword to strike yet again, however, a hand on his wrist stopped him. He jerked around and came face to face with Jim.

"Release my hand, sir." Edward growled at him.

"Look, man, this isn't helping anybody!" Jim pointed out.

"I don't wish to hurt you, Mr. Evers, but my patience is wearing thin!" Edward warned.

 _Does this man not understand that Elizabeth is in danger?!_

"You're wasting your strength, Master Edward!" Ezra spoke up, agreeing with Jim.

Edward stared at him in dismay.

"He's going to kill her."

His voice broke as anger gave way to the utter despair of knowing that every second he failed to escape was a second that Elizabeth spent at the merciless hands of that vile, treacherous devil he'd once called his friend. If that man lay one hand on Elizabeth, if he harmed her in any way –

God, Edward would never forgive himself. He would die a thousand times over again if anything happened to Elizabeth.

"But…that will break the curse, won't it?"

Everyone's heads turned to Michael as he chimed in, a tentative expression on his face.

"I mean…" he continued, now quite nervous to have so many eyes on him, "…that's what you were trying to do to her just now, weren't you? There was poison in that cup."

A great stab of guilt went through Edward as he heard the accusation in the boy's voice, and he removed his wrist from Jim's grip to hurriedly kneel down before the two younger Evers.

"Yes, I admit that was my intention, and…and I see now that it was wrong of me to do so. I pray you can forgive me." He said, looking between them.

Then he stood swiftly to his feet.

"But this is different!" He spoke gravely to Sara and Jim. "The curse requires both my marriage to Elizabeth _and_ her death by poison. Now, not only is the marriage ceremony incomplete, but if Ramsley…"

He paused, looking dangerously ill as he tried to go on.

"…if Ramsley kills Elizabeth now, by a means other than poison…then I guarantee that none of us will ever see her again."

Not bothering to wait and see what the Evers' reactions would be, he turned resolutely back to the whirling wraiths and strode forward once more with his sword prepared to strike.

"Edward, you can't kill all of them!" Emma protested.

"Do you have a better plan?!" He challenged, slicing through one of the demons.

 _I have to get to her. She has to be alright. Oh, please, God, don't take her from me again._

For in that moment, as he continued to swing his sword more and more wildly into the midst of the circling wraiths, Edward Gracey became completely and wretchedly sure of one thing: this was all his fault. He had put his trust in the wrong person, and in doing so had doomed the woman he loved with all his heart.

He may as well have killed Elizabeth himself.

"Mr. Gracey, please! Stop!" Sara beseeched him.

"And leave her at the mercy of the man who murdered her?!" He shouted, taking out several of the creatures with one brutal blow of his sword.

"You won't get to her like this!" Sara, ever the voice of reason, tried to tell him.

"I can't fail her again!" Edward's voice faltered as he despondently swung his sword out one last time, barely clipping the limbs of a passing wraith before he let his blade hit the floor with a desolate clank, his face marred by hopelessness.

It couldn't end like this.

Was this his lot in the afterlife? To be forever forced to lose Elizabeth over and over again? Another hundred years without her would surely drive him mad.

 _But,_ a voice hissed from within him, _you vowed to let her go._

He couldn't forget that Elizabeth had re-lived almost her entire life as Emilia, and that she had another family who cared for her. Could he do the same thing to them that had been done to him?

"Mr. Gracey."

He jolted at the unexpected touch of a hand on his back and he whirled around to see Sara looking at him pleadingly.

"Please. Let us help you." She entreated.

"What can you do?" He questioned her bitterly. "You're mortal! You don't stand a chance against these creatures!"

Indeed, the uncertainty that came over her features convinced Edward that she hadn't thought through her offer at all, but just as he opened his mouth to make a rather biting comment about her ignorance, there came an unexplainable ruckus from outside the ballroom doors, almost as if someone had just sent twenty suits of armor all at once crashing down the grand staircase.

The fact that it could be heard at all above the wraiths' wailing was something worth noting, and the group all turned expectantly towards the other side of the ballroom, anxiously trying to peer through the ring of spirits to find the source of the clatter.

They didn't have to wait long.

" _Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

With a triumphant crow, Aggie and Jamie came charging through the ballroom doors, both haphazardly dressed in various pieces of armor which were several sizes too large for them and each carrying three of four stolen weapons from their ill-fated pursuers. Wide grins lit up their faces.

"Did someone call for assistance?" Jamie asked, one eyebrow raised innocently.

Edward gaped at them speechlessly, his mouth open in disbelief.

Never, in his wildest imaginings of how this night would go, did he even consider the possibility of his cousins' return, let alone that they would end up being his saviors. Though, to be fair, he hadn't imagined he would need saving in the first place.

"J-Jamie?" He stuttered out. "Agatha?"

The girls' grins grew wider, if that were possible, but there was no time to answer as the wraiths once again all shrieked and abruptly broke their formation, shooting in staggered groups back up into the air and then dive-bombing in twos and threes down at the twins, who fearlessly raised their weapons to greet them.

The sight of the two women under attack broke Edward out of his stupor, and he quickly took his sword up again, running forward to their aid.

"Emma! Ezra! Get the Evers out of here!" He yelled over his shoulder, cutting down one of the creatures as it flew over his head.

A worried glance over at the twins had him starting in surprise, however, as he realized that his cousins – his sweet, silly, gentle cousins – were not only managing to hold off the wraiths, but were actually beating them back.

"Bad wraiths! Bad! Off with you now! Back where you came from!"

Aggie's soprano voice combined with the sight of her beating a wraith over the head with a mace was a bizarre paradox that left Edward more in awe of her than he had ever been. At her back, Jamie wielded two swords, which she swung about in a manner far from the grace of an experienced swordsman, but just unrestrained enough to hit something nearly every time, however little damage it caused. It was so un-Jamie-like that Edward had to cover up his laugh with a grunt as he cut through another one of the demons and joined the girls in their fight.

The Evers family watched the battle in angst, knowing there was little they could do to help either Emilia or Mr. Gracey, but aching to do _something._

"Come on!" Emma placed her hands on Megan and Michael's shoulders, attempting to guide both them and their parents towards the servants' hallway near the stairs. "We'll get you out the back way!"

"Wait, now! Hold on a sec! We can't just leave Emmy!" Jim protested, backing away from her and Ezra.

"We have to help them!" Sara agreed.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Evers, the master is right! There's nothing you can do here!" Ezra told her. "Now, we promised Elizabeth that we would get you out safely, and that's what we're going to do!"

He took Sara by the elbow to continue guiding them out, but she shrugged out of his grip and kneeled down in front of her children, leaning forward to kiss them both on the forehead.

"Mom?" Megan looked at her apprehensively.

"I love you." Sara spoke earnestly, taking both of them into her arms for what she knew could be the very last time.

When she drew back, it was to stand and face the two ghosts solemnly.

"Jim and I are staying to help." She decreed.

Her words made the two servants go pale, and even Jim looked caught off guard.

"Oh, but Mrs. Evers-!" Emma exclaimed.

"Take care of our children." Sara ordered her.

She turned expectantly to Jim, who was staring at her in admiration, and he, too, went to Megan and Michael, holding them both close to him for a moment before he stood again and looked at his wife, and with the briefest of smiles and the smallest of nods, the two of them spun around and sprinted back across the room to where Edward and the girls were slowly but surely fighting off the wraiths.

"No! Mom!" Megan screamed.

"Dad!" Michael hollered.

The children were stopped from running after their parents by Emma and Ezra's arms around their shoulders, and the two ghosts gradually pulled them, kicking and shouting, into the safety of the corridor.

Edward's eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he saw Jim and Sara bolting towards him, and he let out an especially angered growl as he stabbed through two of the wraiths before him.

"Do you both have a death wish?!" He cried out as they approached.

A screech behind him made him whip around, and he just managed to slice down another wraith as it dove towards the infuriatingly stubborn couple.

"We're not leaving you to face these things alone!" Sara insisted.

"And we're definitely not going anywhere without Emmy!" Jim added.

Edward was ready to throttle them.

"Hey!"

Aggie unexpectedly popped up beside the three of them, looking disheveled, but greatly pleased with herself.

"Glad to see you've joined the party!" She glowed.

A howling spirit appeared at her shoulder, and she promptly bashed it in the face with her mace, sending it skidding across the floor. Then she turned, still smiling, back to her companions.

"So, what's the problem?" She inquired.

"We want to fight." Sara explained.

"Great! Take this!"

The blonde didn't even blink as she reached down and pulled out the axe which was precariously hooked to her belt, handing it off to Sara.

"Aggie!" Edward scolded her, not quite believing what he was seeing.

His cousin merely shrugged, spinning on her heel to face an oncoming wraith while Sara uncertainly balanced the large axe now in her hands.

"Sara, are you sure you can handle that?" Jim asked.

She looked up at him, about to answer, when all of a sudden her eyes moved behind him, and her mouth opened in terror.

"Look out!" She warned, swinging the axe towards him.

The image of his wife coming at him with a weapon in her grip had Jim rooted to the spot, and Edward was barely able to pull him out of the way before the blade came down on the head of a wraith that had been coming right for him.

"Thanks, man." Jim gasped out.

Edward grimaced in response, gripping the other man's hand and placing his own sword firmly within it.

"Are you sure you can handle that?" He asked dryly, turning to the blonde fighting on his other side. "Jamie!"

Not missing a beat, she whirled around and tossed one of her swords to him, and he caught it just in time to stab it into the gut of an attacking demon. He took great pleasure in watching it dissipate into the air.

"Edward!" He heard Jamie yell. "Where's Elizabeth?"

"Ramsley has her!" He called back. "They're somewhere on the grounds!"

His feet were shoved from underneath him and three wraiths plowed into his legs and he fell to the ground with them on top of him, resulting in both of his arms being pinned down.

"Augh!" He cried as the third creature bit into his shoulder.

There was no blood, of course, but the pain was immeasurable, as if his entire chest were freezing over. He had to grit his teeth together to keep them from chattering.

"Get off him!"

The sensation mercifully vanished as Jim swung his sword through the wraith's neck, sending the demon into oblivion while Aggie took out the two clutching onto his arms.

"Are you alright, Edward?" Aggie asked as she helped him to his feet.

"I'm alright." He panted, one hand on his knee. "But this is taking too long. Elizabeth is still out there somewhere! She needs help!"

Aggie's gaze moved to her sister across the room, and they shared a meaningful exchange.

"We're on it, Edward." Aggie declared. "You stay here and keep these things distracted. We'll go find Elizabeth!"

"Stay here?!" He repeated incredulously.

But before he could start to argue with her, both she and Jamie had dropped their armor and weapons and shifted into ghost ball form, zipping above his head, past the grasping claws of the wraiths, and out the window – a path he was yearning to follow.

"Jim! Mr. Gracey!"

A cry made him turn away from his desired destination to see Sara on the ground, one hand reaching for her axe while the other was tearing at the hand of the creature who had her pinned by the neck. Jim was doing his best to reach her, but with every demon he took down, another stood in his way.

"Hang on, Sara!" Jim urged her.

With a heart like lead, Edward glanced back at the window.

 _Elizabeth…_

"Mr. Gracey, please!"

Edward's eyes clenched shut as he realized exactly what he had to do.

 _Elizabeth…hold on for me!_

It took all of his strength to turn away from the window and run over to Sara's side, and all of his frustration went into his sword as he stabbed the wraith through its side and watched it vanish with a howl that sounded very much like how he felt in that moment. He could only pray that the girls weren't too late.

 _Please, Elizabeth. Don't die on me now._

XXXXX

The rain pelted against my face like bullets as Ramsley flew us over the grounds, his claw-like hands digging sharply into my skin. Beneath us, I could make out the blurred, glowing figures of hundreds of ghosts wandering aimlessly through the sea that was the Gracey graveyard, heedless of the increasingly violent gusts that threatened to split the trees in two and the blinding flashes of light that cracked open the pitch-black sky.

My heart was thundering in my chest and every breath I took came out in a gasp, but I felt strangely far less frightened than I should have been, given that I was in the clutches of the one who'd killed me.

 _And who might kill me again._

As soon as the thought entered my head, I tried to shake it away. I couldn't let myself die. Not like this. It would destroy the Evers, and Edward…God, I couldn't bring myself to imagine what a second death would do to him.

My racing mind was interrupted when I felt Ramsley's hands abruptly release me, and a scream leapt from my throat as I fell through the air, my stomach lurching nauseously as a clap of thunder blasted in my ears and my arms flailed in a useless effort to slow my descent.

The fall was (thankfully) short, and while my landing was extremely rough, it was softened by the state of the earth beneath me, which had transformed into a thick layer of mud, though that didn't stop me from rolling several feet down the shallow slope on which I'd been dropped. For several moments, I laid there, trying to regain my breath as the world spun around me. My hair and clothes were completely soaked with rain, and each tiny water droplet that splattered against my skin carved an icy trail as it ever so slowly made its way to the ground.

As I started to regain control of my senses, I became aware of a roaring in my ears, one that I couldn't attribute to the ongoing storm. Carefully, I tilted my head up towards the source of the sound.

Not five feet away from where I was sprawled in the mud was the river, swollen and angry and rushing down its course with a power that would overtake any misfortunate thing it came upon. It was the same place I'd come so often with Emma on a hot summer's day.

The same place I'd nearly been shot.

"Do you know why you've been brought here?"

Ramsley's booming voice sent me instinctively scrambling to my feet, but the ground was so slippery that I succeeded only in pushing myself just off my knees before my legs gave way, and I found myself flopped face-down, back in the mud. Then a hand was in my hair, and I yelped in pain as I was literally dragged up to stare into a pair of cold, piercing eyes.

"Do you know why you're here?!" Ramsley demanded.

"Yes." I hissed staring back at him unflinchingly. "You're going to kill me here."

A sadistic, sickening smirk spread across is shriveled features, and with one agonizing jerk of the hand still tangled in my hair, I was once more sent flying into the air. This time the distance was cut short by my body hitting the wet bark of a tree, knocking all the breath from my lungs and leaving me bruised and choking for air when I collapsed at the bottom of it. My fingers raised to touch the base of my head, and when I pulled them back, there was blood on the tips of them. _Not good._

Ramsley's feet appeared in my field of vision two seconds later.

"This isn't the first time someone has attempted to kill you here, isn't that right, _Ms. Henshaw_?" I could hear the amusement in his voice.

My eyes warily traveled up the length of his body to see his fingers brushing reverently over a mark on the upper part of the tree, and I was struck by the recognition that it was a bullet hole. Ramsley glanced down at me and scoffed.

"It's a shame, really. The marksman came so highly recommended, only to lose heart at the last second. Just imagine how much trouble could have been avoided had he succeeded."

I felt the blood drain from my face as I began to comprehend exactly what he was revealing to me.

"You-!"

My cry was silenced by Ramsley's hand around my neck, and I scratched at his arms without restraint as he lifted me into the air above his head so that my feet dangled nearly a foot from the ground.

"Well, you know what they say." He muttered. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Throwing all of my caution to the wind, I gathered as much saliva in my mouth as I could and spit directly into his eyes, then took advantage of his disgust by using the opportunity to kick my foot as hard as possible into his crotch.

"GAH!" He shouted, dropping me instantly.

My feet scrambled anxiously in the mud, trying to drive me forward, and I managed to make it to the tree, which I used to pull myself up unsteadily into a standing position. The shortage of time before Ramsley attacked again made me grip onto one of the tree's branches, and I ripped it aggressively from the trunk, whirling around right in time to whip the devil right across the face with it. The sound of it slapping viciously against his cheek brought me more satisfaction than I expected. But the feeling was pitifully brief.

For when I swung the branch at him again, it went right through him, meaning that my only means of defense was now completely useless.

The horror I felt at that moment must have been more than obvious on my face, for the deranged expression that appeared on Ramsley's was one I could only describe as a beast that has cornered its prey.

I saw his hand coming towards me in slow motion, and could swear I felt the strike seconds before it even made contact with my cheek, and in the next moment, I was back in the mud, raising a quivering hand up to touch the corner of my mouth, where I could taste the blood dripping on my lips.

"You're insane." I gasped out.

CRACK!

The fiery agony that erupted from my wrist and shot all the way up my arm came just as a bolt of lightning burst forth from the sky and down towards us, finding its victim in the tree directly above our heads, which sent a shower of burnt wood and hot sparks down upon us and made the air around us tingle with electricity. I didn't even realize what had happened until Ramsley shifted his boot, and a vicious scream tore from my lips.

"Oh, stop that wailing, you wretched girl." Ramsley snarled, his voice muffled by a deafening ringing in my ears.

He removed his boot from atop my crushed wrist, and I couldn't hold back my sobs as I cautiously pulled it towards my chest, and cradled by broken, bleeding hand against it. My eyes latched onto the silver ring on my finger.

"Edward." I wept his name without really meaning to.

 _Edward, I'm sorry. I tried. I swear I tried._

Another flash of lightning illuminated Ramsley's face leering down at me, and in his eyes, I could see all too clearly a maniacal thirst for blood. My blood.

His lips were moving, speaking to me, but I couldn't hear the words. Everything around me began to fade away into darkness, and the last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Ramsley's foot raised above my head, ready to crush the life from me.

 _Edward, forgive me._

 _I'm sorry._

 _I love you._

XXXXX

"Lizzie! Lizzie!"

"She's still breathing!"

"Oh, thank God!"

"Lizzie, dearest, can you hear us?"

… _Jamie? Aggie?_

Two familiar voices rang in my ears like soft bells, and for a second I seriously considered the possibility that I was dead. But then I remembered what Emma and Ezra told me.

Suddenly, I was fighting with everything in me to get my eyes open – to see for myself that my two darling, wonderful friends were really here and not the delirious figment of a dying mind.

"Please wake up, Lizzie!"

The rain had ceased, that much I could tell, but the cold wind that swept across my skin chilled me to the bone, and the low rumble of thunder that sounded the distance told me that the storm wasn't quite over yet. In my eagerness to get my eyes open, I happened to move my wrist, and the searing pain that shot up my arm drew a shrill cry from my mouth. My eyes finally managed to pull themselves open as a pair of arms encased me and carefully pulled my up onto a lap.

"Jamie?" I croaked out.

"Right here, Lizzie." The blonde above me smiled, but upon closer inspection, I saw that her big blue eyes were full of tears.

"And I'm here, too." Aggie said from beside us, her eyes as wet as her sister's.

She took my bruised wrist as delicately as possible into her hand, and I let out a hiss when her fingers pressed against the area around it, assessing the injury.

"I think it's broken." She looked at Jamie.

"No kidding." I chuckled lightly, letting tear of both distress and joy slip from the corner of my eye as I relaxed into Jamie's arms. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you two."

"You scared us, Lizzie." Aggie frowned.

"We thought you were dead!" Jamie explained, her voice trembling.

"What happened?" I asked, moving to sit up.

My eyes scanned over the area around us, and I saw that we were still underneath the lightning-struck tree, but my heart began to pound in bewilderment when I realized that Ramsley was nowhere in sight.

"Where is he?" I gripped Jamie's arm tightly and pulled myself up fully to a sitting position.

A strong part of me believed that the old butler was still lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting to strike again.

"He fled as soon as Aggie and I appeared. You should have seen him, Lizzie. He was ready to bash your head in!" Jamie's eyes were wide fright as she recounted what they'd seen.

"I know, I know, but I'm alright, Jamie." I shushed her. "The only thing I'm confused about is why he fled so quickly. Why didn't he kill me first?"

"It could be he thought you were already dead." Aggie suggested. "We certainly did! When we got here, you were lying in the mud so still, and we weren't sure how much of your skin was covered in dirt or covered in blood. It's possible he thought he did more harm to you than he actually has."

I nodded slowly, remembering the animalistic rage on Ramsley's features right before he'd raised his foot up, and I decided that he was both arrogant enough to believe the damage he'd caused would mortally wound me, and unhinged enough to make himself believe with all of his wicked soul that it was true.

Then another thought struck me.

"Where was Ramsley headed?" I questioned them hurriedly.

"That's the problem, Lizzie…" Jamie started.

"It looked like he was headed for the manor." Aggie finished for her, and the uncharacteristic worry in her eyes confirmed that we were thinking the exact same thing.

"The Evers…" I breathed. "He's going after the Evers!"

In my rush to get to my feet, I completely forgot about my wrist, and foolishly placed it on the ground to push myself up, resulting in an embarrassingly loud screech of anguish as I fell back against both of the girls.

"Slow down, dearest!" Jamie chastised me.

She tore off a piece from the bottom of my dress – which was in ruins anyway – and began to methodically wrap my wrist in it.

"But we have to go!" I pleaded with her. "They're in danger! Edward is in danger!"

In my heart I knew that Edward would never let harm come to the people I cared so much for, and I also knew that this meant he would do whatever was necessary to keep Ramsley away from them, including putting his own body – er, soul – in harm's way instead. I didn't know whether or not it was possible to truly injure a ghost, but I certainly wasn't going to risk losing Edward now.

"You can't expect to fight Ramsley like this! He nearly killed you!" Aggie exclaimed as she and Jamie placed my arm into a makeshift sling and tied it around my neck.

"I won't let others keep fighting my battles for me!" I declared firmly. "It was my death that started all of this, and I'm going to be the one to finish it. Now if you're not going to help me get back to the manor, I'll walk there on my own."

Making serious my claim, I shifted my legs beneath me and shrugged my shoulders out of their hands, and I was about to make an attempt to stand on my own when they both took hold of my elbows and carefully hoisted me to my feet.

"Alright, alright!" Aggie smirked at my defiance. "We'll help you."

"Just don't push yourself harder than you have to!" Jamie instructed me.

"I promise." I told her, greatly comforted to have my two best friends by my side as I headed into the fight for a second round. "Now…let's take that bastard down."

Both Aggie and Jamie wrapped an arm securely around my waist and another around my shoulders before transforming into their blue, glowing ghost forms, and together, the three of us took off into the sky and back towards Gracey Manor.

 _Wait for me, Edward,_ I thought. _I'm coming for you._

XXXXX

Though the number of wraiths had significantly dwindled in the time since he, Jim, and Sara had started fighting, Edward could see that they were still vastly outnumbered, and that his companions were starting to lose their adrenalin, making their blows less and less effective against the howling demons. Both Evers has obtained numerous injuries - in spite of Edward's efforts to protect them - which included an ugly bruise that was forming on Sara's cheek and several scratches up both her arms and Jim's.

"You need to get out of here!" Edward commanded them.

A wraith latched onto his arm, and he struck it in the face with the hilt of his sword, then stabbed it through once it had released him.

"You can't fight these things on your own!" Jim shouted as he swung his sword back, inadvertently hitting the head of a wraith behind him as he prepared to face the two flying towards him.

"I can last against these creatures longer than either of you can! Just make for the exit! I'll hold them off!" Edward directed.

"But what about Ramsley? What about Elizabeth?" Sara beseeched him.

Three wraiths simultaneously zoomed towards her from different directions and – thinking quickly – she dropped to the floor, letting them crash into each other in a mess of shrieks and tangled claws before she swung her axe through them.

"Mrs. Evers!"

A hand on her arm made her turn and face Edward, who spoke his next words lowly and solemnly.

"There are two children out there who need their parents. I know how much Elizabeth means to you and I understand your desire to help her, but this isn't your fight! It's ours. Can you trust me, Mrs. Evers?"

A telltale shriek sent Edward's sword swinging to the side and directly into the wraith that had been aiming for their heads, then he looked back at Sara impatiently. She nodded.

"Then I swear to you, I will save her." He vowed, meaning it with everything inside his battered, weary soul.

There was simply no other option.

"A noble sentiment, sir."

Edward felt his entire body go rigid as Sara gasped, and the two of them whipped around to see Ramsley standing at the open window, grinning in a manner so grotesque it made both of their stomachs churn. All of the wraiths, seeing their summoner returned, darted back up to their places on the ceiling, leaving Jim free to run to his wife's side. They hugged each other tightly as Edward stepped forward to face the pale man.

"Unfortunately," Ramsley drawled, "you're a bit too late."

A panic like none he'd ever experienced before gripped Edward's chest as he came to the horrendous understanding that his former confidant did not have Elizabeth with him, and the fragility of his heart at that moment terrified him beyond all reason.

"Where is she."

It was a demand, not a question, and was snarled with such severity that Edward didn't recognize his own voice.

The butler's grin grew wider in response.

"Where is she?!" Edward demanded again, stalking forward with every intention to strangle the answer out of him. " _Where is she, Ramsley?!_ What have you done with her?!"

His hands clenched around Ramsley's collar and he yanked the withered man towards him, shaking him violently.

"TELL ME!"

But before Edward could even process what was happening, he was up in the air, then skidding across the floor with a force that stunned him. He leapt back up to his feet, sword in hand, and saw Ramsley staring at him with a contemptuous sneer.

"You ungrateful boy." He spat out. "After all I've done for you, all I've made you to be, you are still _weak_!"

With a furious shout, Edward charged at him, his sword raised to strike, but as he brought it down towards Ramsley's head, the butler unflinchingly reached up and grabbed the blade, tossing it to the side, and Edward with it.

His eyes narrowed as he slowly walked over to stand above his pitiful protégé.

"Look what she's done to you. Where your so-called 'love' has gotten you. I warned you that girl would be your downfall, and still you let yourself be blinded!"

Edward lifted his head up to stare at Ramsley with all the hatred he could muster.

"If you've so much as scratched her, I swear I'll do everything in my power to ensure that you suffer for the rest of your miserable afterlife." He threatened. "Now tell me _where she is_!"

"You want her?!" Ramsley's eyes flashed dangerously. "Then you'll find her in HELL!"

The fear that had been clasping Edward's heart so carefully in its grip now completely crushed it, and the tiny, broken shards scattered through is entire being, tearing into his stomach, slicing through his lungs, and closing up his throat so that he choked with the sheer agony of his heartbreak.

 _No…no. This can't be happening. Not again!_

"You lie."

His accusation was barely audible, but the flicker of doubt that it caused to appear on Ramsley's face was enough to assure Edward that there was hope – that Elizabeth might still be alive.

As if to cover his slip-up, Ramsley released a ferocious growl and transformed into his ghost state, and Edward braced himself for the attack that was sure to come. But the malevolent ghost wasn't aiming for him. Rather, Edward watched in bewilderment and then anger as he flew up towards the wraiths on the ceiling and shot down at Jim and Sara.

"Run!" Edward called to them.

This time, they didn't hesitate to follow his orders, and dashed hand in hand towards the servants' hallway but their escape was blocked when several wraiths dropped down from the ceiling and landed in front of them, hissing and gnashing their teeth. The couple screeched to a halt just in time to avoid their icy claws and held onto each other for dear life when they spun around and saw Ramsley coming right for them.

But Edward was faster.

He rammed into Ramsley from the side, and the two ghosts went toppling to the floor. When they finally came to a stop at the bottom of the ballroom stairs, both immediately reached for the other's throat, and for several minutes they grappled with each other on the floor, clawing at each other's faces and both trying to grab the sword attached at Edward's waist.

It was Ramsley's hand that managed to take hold of the hilt first, and he wasted no time in wrenching the sword out of its sheath and holding it to the throat of the man beneath me, who stretched his head back in an effort to avoid the blade.

"Any last words?" The butler jeered at him.

"Yes!"

A woman's voice, strong and clear, rang out from behind them, and a relieved smile spread instantly across Edward's face.

Ramsley, on the other hand, bellowed in disbelief and pure rage, and he whirled around with fire and brimstone in his eyes, his sword aimed to kill…only to be cut short by a blade piercing right through his belly.

A pitiful gasp escaped him, and he looked up into a pair of dark eyes which gleamed with the triumph of vengeance.

"Goodnight, Ramsley." Elizabeth smiled at him.

XXXXX

My injured arm was burning from the movement it took to stab the sword through Ramsley with one hand, and I could practically feel the worry radiating off of the girls from where they stood ready to assist me at either of my shoulders, but as I withdrew my weapon from Ramsley's center and witnessed the astonished fury on his face, I felt an unbelievable sense of freedom wash over me.

 _It's over._

My joy was interrupted, however, when throughout the room a thunderous crack resounded, as if the storm from outside had somehow managed to work its way into the air above our heads.

The source of the sound was revealed when a sudden blast of heat and light came from behind me, and everyone turned to the fireplace to see the floor beneath it rapidly falling away, caving into a fiery pit that burned with the power of a thousand suns. I was so stunned by the unexpected turn of events that I couldn't even question it when from out of hell's door, a dragon emerged – it too burning with fire – and pounced for the unmoving Ramsley, twisting around his body and getting so close to me that I felt the ends of my dripping wet hair and clothing actually singe.

The butler unleashed a scream that almost made me pity him as he was dragged towards his fiery doom. But it seemed that he wasn't about to go down so easily.

Just when I thought I was out of his reach, a desperate, grasping hand thrust out and latched onto my ankle, and I barely had time to share a horrified look with Edward before my feet were pulled out from underneath me, and I was dragged right along with Ramsley towards the gaping, glowing hole in the floor.

"NO!" I heard Edward cry out.

My fingernails dug painfully into the floor as I tried to find something, _anything_ for my one working hand to grab onto and did my best to keep a frantic scream from leaving my lips. I could already feel the heat on my face when – at last – two hands caught hold of my arm, and two more hooked beneath my shoulders, keeping me from going completely over the edge of the pit as I kicked with all my might at Ramsley's hand.

"We've got you, Emmy!" Jim shouted as he and Sara tried to pull me back.

Another pair of hands joined them as Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, and Jamie joined Sara at my shoulders while Aggie ran – loudly yelling – up to my feet, her mace lifted high above her head.

"Go to hell!" She roared.

And with one brilliant bash to Ramsley's face, he was gone.

Everyone tumbled backwards in a great heap as the weight on my leg disappeared, and I wound up on Edward's chest, where I lay breathing heavily as we listened to Ramsley's screams fade away and watched the wraiths all fly wailing over our heads and into the pit after him as it closed up to restore the fireplace to its normal size.

For a long time, none of us said a word. Then my shoulders began to shake.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth, love, are you alright?" Edward asked anxiously, sitting up and turning me towards him.

He relaxed when he saw the bright smile that was spread across my cheeks.

"We did it." I laughed gleefully. "We finally did it!"

Edward returned my smile with one of his own, his eyes soft and loving as he leaned forward and kissed my cheek, then nuzzled his face into my hair.

"Yes, love, we did it. We're safe. You're safe."

His arms tightened around me, and I could have sworn I felt him trembling as his hands brushed over my arms and legs, making sure I was truly alright. Well, aside from my wrist, of course. His fingers brushed over my bruised hand, and he leaned down to press his lips to it, as if his kiss could somehow undo the harm that had been done to me – as if his touch alone could heal me.

"Oh, Lizzie! Edward!" Aggie squealed, throwing her arms around both of us while Jamie did the same on our other side.

"Can you believe this?" Jamie beamed. "We're all here! All together again!"

It really was surreal, sitting in the middle of the ballroom wrapped in the arms of the three people I thought I'd lost forever. But what was even more strange – to the point, even, of being a bit frightening – was the absolute calm that settled into me as my mind fully comprehended the magnitude of this moment.

There were no more battles to be fought, no more obstacles to have to overcome.

There was just peace.

The man who had caused all of us so much hurt was gone, and he was never coming back. We could finally start living our –

 _Oh._

 _Right._

There was one problem left.

My eyes trailed over Edward's shoulder to see Jim and Sara standing by at a respectable distance, allowing the four of us to have our reunion. Sara was smiling and Jim looked happy that I was safe, but I could tell that they were both conflicted.

Sensing that my gaze was elsewhere, Edward turned his head towards the Evers, understanding dawning in his eyes when he realized why I'd sobered up so abruptly. He placed one hand cautiously around the shoulder of my injured arm and the other on my waist, then helped me rise to my feet, and the two of us walked over to the eagerly waiting couple.

When we got close, I put my working hand on Edward's chest, and he nodded, letting me approach them alone. They were silent as I came to stand before them.

"Hello, Jim. Hello, Sara." I spoke gently. "I'm Elizabeth."

Several seconds passed and neither of them moved.

Then Sara came forward and pulled me tenderly into her arms, holding me close against her. Surprised tears welled in my eyes at her immediate acceptance, and I happily returned her embrace, albeit one-armedly.

"I know, honey." She smiled as she drew back. "I'm so glad you're alright."

My stomach churned nervously as we both looked to Jim, who seemed uncertain as I walked up to him.

"Jim?" I probed. "Jim, it's still me. Emmy is still right here in front of you. It's just that…just that there's a whole other side of me now. One that explains all the things about me that I didn't know how to before."

I stared up at him hopefully, praying with all my might that he'd be willing to understand. When he still didn't speak, I went on, growing slightly angry with him and letting out a bit more of my Emmy side in the process.

"Look, just because I've got a crazy complicated past life doesn't mean that you can treat me like a stranger all of a sudden! So, say something, would you? Anything! I mean, look at me! I'm a total mess right now! Aren't you going to make fun of me? Make some snide comment about how I look like the creature from the Black Lagoon or – "

My ranting was cut off by Jim's hands grabbing onto my shoulders, and in the next second, I was in his arms, my face pressed up against his jacket and my eyes wide with shock.

 _He's…okay with this?_

When he pushed me back, I peered curiously up into his face and he gave me a small grin, ruffling my singed and muddy hair playfully.

"That's definitely still you in there, kid." He said. "Only you would come up with a suggestion like that."

I smirked and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Mom! Dad!"

"Emmy! You're alright!"

We all turned towards the ballroom doors to see Megan and Michael running towards us, with Emma and Ezra following closely after them.

I bent down to greet the children as they drew close and I couldn't help giggling at the high-pitched squeals that erupted from Aggie and Jamie as they threw themselves excitedly at the pair of unsuspecting ghosts.

An enthusiastic Michael was the first to reach me, and I had to bite my lip to keep from hissing in pain as he jostled my broken wrist, which I was too ecstatic to care about much, but which Edward looked deeply concerned by. Megan was more considerate in her embrace, and placed her arms strategically around my neck.

"What happened to your arm?" She asked as they pulled away. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I assured her. "My wrist is broken, and I'll have a few bruises, but I've always been a fast healer."

"Where's Ramsley?" Michael observed the room nervously.

This time it was Edward who spoke up.

"He's gone. You won't have to worry about him hurting your family anymore." He promised them.

"Is it true, sir?" Ezra enquired, having come up beside us with Ezra and the girls.

"It's true, Ezra." I beamed at him. "He's gone for good."

Both his and Emma's faces were overcome with elation, and I drew them both into a hug as Jim and Sara went to hold their kids.

"Thank you for keeping them safe." I whispered in their ears.

"We're so proud of you, Elizabeth." Emma whispered back, sounding teary. "You're finally free."

My eyes met Edward's over their shoulders and he sent me a brief smile before turning and approaching the Evers family.

"Can you ever forgive me?" He entreated them.

I held my breath waiting for their answers.

"Well, what's to forgive?" Jim shrugged, glancing over at me. "You love her."

Warmth filled my stomach at his acknowledgement of our relationship, and I took the opportunity to go to Edward's side and wrap my arm around his, allowing my head to rest against his shoulder.

"So…what happens now?" Jamie voiced aloud the question that was on all of our minds. "Is the curse broken?"

I shared a glance with Edward as we both remembered what Madame Leota had told us.

"Not yet." I explained hesitantly. "There's something else that needs to be done."

The distraught expressions that came over everyone's faces was exactly what I feared their reactions would be.

"Em – er – Elizabeth, you can't be serious!" Jim objected.

"We don't want you to die, Emmy!"

Michael's eyes were wide with dread, and I felt a deep guilt take hold of me as I realized that, no matter what I did, I'd be letting somebody down.

If I sacrificed my life to break the curse, I'd be hurting the Evers family, who'd gone through so much tonight to save me. But if I went with them, I'd be leaving Edward and the other hundreds of ghosts in Gracey Manor trapped in purgatory, for who knew how long.

"Jim, Sara." I turned to them. "I _have_ to do this. You and the kids mean so much to me, and I'll love you all forever, but…Edward is my soul. He and Emma and Ezra and the girls…they need me here. I can't abandon them again."

"but you've been given a second chance, Elizabeth!" Sara reasoned. "Don't you think there's a reason you were brought back? You could live the life you never got to!"

"By leaving them all trapped here for another century?" I argued.

There was no easy way to make this choice, but I knew where my heart lay, and it was with the man who stood beside me.

"Elizabeth."

I looked up at Edward, and the resigned expression on his face made me nervous. My hand dropped from his arm so that he could take it in his, and I let him lead me over to a small alcove, away from the prying eyes of the others.

He brought his hand up to brush his thumb over my bruised, mud-coated cheek, while his eyes dropped to my bandaged wrist, and in that instant, I could see exactly what he was thinking. It frightened me.

"No, Edward." I begged, fervently shaking my head. "Don't do it. Don't send me away!"

"Sara is right, my darling. I can't let you give up a second chance to live your life." He sighed.

Though he was doing an excellent job of hiding it, his eyes gave away that this was hurting him as much as it was hurting me.

"I have no life without _you_ , remember?! You can't do this! Don't you dare do this to me!" I clutched onto his jacket, outraged tears in my eyes.

Everything we'd been through – every hardship we'd ever faced, every sacrifice we'd ever made, every awful year we spent apart from each other – had all been endured in the hope that someday we could finally be together, and I'd be damned if I let him allow us to be separated again.

"Elizabeth, be practical!"

" _Practical?!_ " I exclaimed disbelievingly. "And let that foolish, prideful, idiotic brain of yours tear us apart again?! Never!"

"Elizabeth, please!"

"No! I can't lose you now! I won't!"

"Elizabeth!"

"Don't you dare leave me again!"

His lips crashed down upon mine with so much force that our teeth banged together, but I couldn't have cared less. A single tear dripped down my cheek as I threw my arm around his neck and pulled myself as close to him as physically possible, and I was pleased to feel his arms come around my waist, pressing me against him as we both clung to each other and released all of the terror we'd felt over the last two hours.

Tears were shining in both of our eyes when he pulled away and took my face in his hands.

"You think I want this?" He whispered. "I would gladly keep you here with me forever if I could. But you have another family, Elizabeth. I can't put them through the same pain that we all felt when we lost you. No one could be that cruel."

Deep inside, I knew he was right. But how could I bear to leave him now that we'd just found each other again? How could I live with that emptiness? There had to be some other way…

My head snapped up.

"What is it, love?" Edward asked, sounding wary.

I looked up into his eyes, contemplating the idea that had popped so suddenly into my mind. If I could get the others to agree to it…

 _Then maybe I can make this work for everyone._

Quickly, I wiped away the tears from my eyes and took Edward's hand back in mine, marching him along with me to stand before the others, though my cheeks grew warm when I realized that they'd all been watching us. Nonetheless, I spoke.

"I have a compromise."

XXXXX

 **OHHHHHH MYYYYY WOOOOORD. It took** _ **forever**_ **to write this chapter. Anyway, I so sincerely hope you enjoyed this story, and thank you so much – TOTALLY KIDDING. There's an epilogue heading your way, my readers, so stay tuned!**

 _ **Elactress**_


	17. Epilogue: A Different Ending

**Happy 2018 everybody! Sorry this is a couple days late, but HERE IT IS! THE FINAL CHAPTER! Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!**

 **Thank you to CCangel, actioncatzzz, Child of Dreams, and withloveee for your reviews, and to all who have been following both Before the Haunting Hour and A Tale to Conquer Time! It's been a pleasure writing for you!**

 **(Also, for those of you who notice, yes, this chapter takes place the same year of Hurricane Katrina, but that struck New Orleans in late August, and this happens in May. Carry on!)**

 **Disclaimer: Someday, my readers…someday…**

XXXXX

" _Congratulations to the graduating class of 2005!"_

I cheered along with the rest of my fellow graduate students as the Master of Ceremonies concluded our commencement, and everyone began to file out of the hall, chattering and buzzing with excitement.

"Emmy! Emmy!"

At the sound of my name being called, I paused, turning around just in time for a certain blonde to come plowing into me.

"Congratulations!" She cried, throwing her arms around my shoulders.

"Thanks, Amy!" I laughed, hugging her back.

Though it had been over two years since we graduated together from the University of New Orleans, we had still managed to remain good friends, even as I spent the first seven months afterwards traveling across Europe and Asia, continuing my study of music and trying to see as much of the world as I could before…well…

"So, how does it feel to be a master piano player?" She teased.

"Amazing, of course." I grinned, looping my arm through hers as we both went to follow the crowd out the door and onto the lawn outside, where I knew the Evers would be waiting for me.

"Well, no one is more deserving of this than you are." She asserted, playfully nudging me. "Is it true you're heading back out on the road now that graduation is over?"

A small prick of sorrow hit me as I nodded, going along with the story that the Evers and I had carefully laid out to explain my absence to people after this weekend. I felt guilty having to lie to such a good friend, and even more so knowing how hurt she would be when the letters I'd pre-written out for the family to send to her eventually stopped coming. That was how we decided it would be for all my friends (few though there were) when they agreed to my plan all that time ago in the ballroom of Gracey Manor.

To satisfy Jim and Sara's desire to see me live my life, and to give myself a chance to accomplish all that I desired to, I _did_ end up leaving the mansion with them that night, and I had continued on with my life as normally as I could, though with a great deal more vigor.

My travels after graduation had included weeks spent in London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Tokyo, Kolkata, Mumbai, and several other major cities, where I'd had the opportunity to meet and work with an endless array of talented musicians who'd awed and enchanted me with their passion for their art. I had climbed the Great Wall of China and the Eiffel Tower – had seen such wonders as the Taj Mahal and the Colosseum. And then, when the homesickness had become too much, I'd returned to New Orleans and enrolled in the graduate program at Loyola University, where – thanks to the Evers' support and my own eagerness – I'd been able to achieve my degree in a year and a half.

"Yes." I told Amy. "Three days from now."

"Three days?! How am I supposed to survive without you?" She exclaimed, heaving an overdramatic sigh.

"Something tells me you'll be just fine." I gave her a tiny smile as we emerged into the sunlight and stood at the top of the stairs overlooking the lawn, where the other students were talking and taking pictures with their friends and family.

Before we could go down to join them, I stopped Amy by the shoulder and turned her towards me.

"Amy," I began solemnly, "I want to thank you for being so wonderful to me all these years."

"Aw, Em, you don't have to do that!"

"I know, but I mean it. You're a star, Amy. A big, bright, brilliant star!"

We both giggled at the ridiculousness of my compliment, but I said every word in earnest, and I could tell she knew it. My arms wrapped around her in a bittersweet embrace.

"Never forget that, okay?"

"I promise." She said as we drew back from each other. "And you have an amazing trip, alright? Keep in touch!"

"I will." I smirked.

"Hey, Emmy!"

I turned my head and saw Jim waving me over to where he stood in the grass with Sara, Michael, and Megan, and I gave Amy a little wave goodbye as I hurried down the steps to join them.

"You looked pretty good up there, kid." He jested, enveloping me in a bear hug.

"Thanks a lot." I muttered sarcastically.

His arms released me so that Sara could come up and take his place, wrapping her arms lovingly around me.

"Congratulations, dear." She smiled.

"Thank you, Sara." I returned her smile with one of my own.

"Can we go now?" Michael pleaded. "I'm getting kind of hungry."

I chuckled and removed my cap to plop it onto his head, and he beamed up at me while Megan rolled her eyes.

"Hold on, we need a couple pictures!" Sara insisted, rummaging through her purse to find her camera.

Before the two kids beside me could escape, I swiftly wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, effectively trapping them on either side of me and putting a goofy grin on my face as Sara snapped the picture.

"Now one with Jim and I!" She instructed, handing the camera off to Megan and coming up beside me to place her hands on my shoulders.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Jim was doing bunny ears behind me when the camera clicked, and I jabbed my elbow back, resulting in a quiet cough of surprise from his mouth.

"Perfect!" Sara declared, unaware of the exchange as she put her camera back into her bag. "Now let's get home and celebrate!"

With one arm around me and the other around Megan, she led the way back across the field and towards the car, leaving the boys to follow.

XXXXX

Three hours and one large pepperoni pizza late, I sat lounged on the living room couch with Michael and Megan on either side of me and a bowl of popcorn in my lap, our eyes all locked intently on the black and white horror movie playing on the TV.

"Run, dummy, run!" Megan hissed under her breath.

A smirk crossed my lips, and I chucked a piece of popcorn at her, only for her to catch it effortlessly in her mouth and send me a smug grin.

"Cheeky." I muttered as we both refocused on the screen.

In the front hall, the phone began to ring, but I thought nothing of it as I heard Sara's light footsteps coming from the kitchen to answer it, sure that it must be a colleague or client of hers and Jim's.

"Hello, Sara Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate." I heard her say.

On the TV, a dark shadow loomed behind the heroine, and Megan, Michael, and I all leaned forward anxiously.

"Elizabeth! Telephone!"

"Just a second!" I called back distractedly.

A high-pitched scream reverberated through the room as the obviously-a-man-in-a-suit monster leapt at the woman, and I was vaguely aware of Sara frantically trying to calm whoever was on the other end of the line.

"She's alright! She's alright! We're all alright!"

It was at that moment that I suddenly realized exactly who she was on the phone with, and I came extremely close to spilling the popcorn all over the floor as I shoved it into Megan's hands and leapt off the couch and sprung off the couch, making a beeline for the second-floor receiver.

"I'll take it upstairs, Sara!" I shouted as I jumped two at a time up the staircase.

When I reached the landing, I snatched the phone up in my hand and slipped into my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Elizabeth?" Came the deep, gentle voice on the other end.

"Edward." I smiled.

It was true that part of my agreement with the Evers forbid me from going to Gracey Manor for the time allotted ("to avoid temptation", Jim had said), but that didn't prevent Edward and I from calling each other as often as possible, nor from sending each other love notes on special occasions. On my last birthday, we'd even had a mysterious bouquet of flowers appear on our doorstep.

"Are you alright?" He enquired worriedly, and I was glad he couldn't see my blush as I remembered my fixation on the film downstairs.

"Yes, I'm alright." I assured him. "Sorry. The kids and I were watching a scary movie."

"As if you haven't spent enough time around the supernatural." He remarked amusedly.

"Clearly not, considering how much I miss you." I let my yearning seep into my voice as I sat down on the end of my bed.

Edward sighed on the other end of the receiver.

"I miss you as well, my darling. We were all very sorry not to be able to attend the ceremony today."

"Would that have been a sight!" I giggled. "How is everyone? How are Emma and Ezra?"

"Exactly the same." I could practically hear him smirking. "Still constantly bickering. But you wouldn't believe what they've done with the manor. It looks just as it did in the old days!"

"I can't wait to be there and see it!" I enthused.

"Neither can they. Oh, they and the girls send their congratulations, by the way! As do I."

"Thank you!" I beamed. "And thank them, too, for me. How is the girls' project coming along?"

"Better than they expected it would." He described proudly. "I've been going with them lately on their late-night walks, and you'd be surprised how altered the spirits of the graveyard ghosts are. They've been wandering the grounds more and more freely."

"That's wonderful!" I exclaimed.

"Yes…but it does worry me. Once they discover that they're physically incapable of leaving the grounds, many of them have become violent, and those that already know about the curse grow more and more impatient to move on with every day. It gives us all just one more reason to look forward to your return, my love."

In the background on his end, I could hear a door slamming open, followed by a muffled female voice and then Edward's reply, "It's Elizabeth".

I had to hold the phone at arm's length to keep my ear drums from rupturing at the effusive shrieking that suddenly came through the speaker, and it was several seconds before I could even make out that it was Aggie who was talking.

"Come home, Lizzie! We're all miserable without you!" She yelled.

I couldn't help laughing as I listened to Edward's attempts to shoo her out of the room, and it was nearly a full minute before there was silence again.

"Aggie sends her love." Edward spoke, and I put the phone back up to my ear.

"I could tell." I grinned. "And here I was thinking I wouldn't be missed enough."

There was silence on the other line.

"Edward?" I sat up a little straighter. "Edward, are you there?"

"I'm here." He replied at last. "I apologize, I was just…God, I wish you were with me now."

His words made my heart ache, and I brought up my fingers to touch the silver ring that hung from a chain around my neck, as if it would somehow bring us closer together.

"I know, love. I know. But it's only three more days." I consoled him.

"I hope you know that once I have you, I am _never_ letting you go."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I smiled into the receiver. "I love you, dearest Edward."

"And I love you, sweet Elizabeth. I'll let you get to sleep. Try to dream of me tonight."

"I'll try my best." I teased. "Goodnight."

With a soft click, our phones disconnected, and I let mine fall from my ear with a heavy sigh.

 _Three more days._

 _Just three more days._

XXXXX

The time passed by slowly, as it always does when one is anticipating something so important, but before I knew it, my last night with the Evers family had arrived.

Rather than allow doom and gloom to settle into our hearts during our last few hours together, we decided to have a celebratory barbecue in the backyard, and I wound up playing in a two-on-one soccer game with the kids while Jim and Sara tag-teamed the grill.

"Oof!" I grunted as Michael hopped onto my back, allowing Megan to steal the ball away and run towards the makeshift goal on the opposite side of the yard. "How is this fair?"

"You're taller than us!" Megan justified.

"Well, you're faster than me!" I complained, making a half-hearted attempt to trudge after her with the extra weight hanging from my shoulders.

She kicked the ball between the two trash cans we'd set up, and both kids yelled in victory as Michael slid down to the ground.

"I give up. You guys win!" I wheezed, my hands on my knees.

"You alright, Emmy?" Megan asked, walking over to me.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine. Just as soon as I do _this_!"

A screech echoed through the backyard as I snatched her up into my arms and spun her around in a circle, then the two of us tumbled, panting, onto the grass.

"Alright kids! Burgers and dogs – come and get 'em!" Jim called us over to the picnic table.

"Finally! I'm starving!" Michael declared.

The game was officially abandoned as he and Megan dashed over to start piling up their plates with food, but as I walked over to join them, Sara intercepted me.

"I need to talk to you."

Slowly, I nodded, letting her lead the way through the back door and into the kitchen, where we took our seats on opposite sides of the table. Something told me I already knew what she was going to say.

"Elizabeth," she implored me, "don't do this."

I sighed, bringing my hand up to my forehead.

"Sara – "

"I know what we agreed to, and I'm so glad that you've been able to experience so much in these past three years, but, _please_ , just think for a second about what you'll be giving up. Think of all the places you still haven't seen – all the things you'll never get to do!"

"Like having a family, you mean?" I replied sharply.

For a moment, she seemed taken aback.

"There are other experiences worth living for." She persisted.

"Sara, do you think I haven't thought about this every day for the past three years? I've done all that I ever wanted to! I've traveled around the world, I've played music with wonderful and tremendously talented people, and I've completed my education! Now the only thing that I want – the only thing I've ever really wanted – is to spend eternity by the side of the man I _love_."

Her expression was dubious, so I reached across the table and gripped her hands in mine, begging her to understand.

"I've experienced two lives, Sara. The first one was stolen from me, but this one I'm giving up willingly; I couldn't think of a more precious gift to give to the people who spent not only their entire lives, but their afterlives as well, protecting me. I'm not doing this just because I need to. I'm doing this because I want to."

A long silence passed between us as I waited for her to respond.

"I hoped that three years would make you change your mind." She murmured, a weak smile on her lips. "But I should have known better. You were always going to return to him, weren't you?"

"It's where I belong." I confirmed softly.

Her smile grew a little brighter as she nodded and gently squeezed my hand.

"I know…we're just all going to miss you so much."

I rose from my seat and went to kneel down beside her, wrapping my arms around her.

"I'll miss you all, too."

Why did goodbyes have to be so hard?

XXXXX

The next morning was appropriately gray and stormy, reflecting how all of us felt as I gave my last farewells to the Evers family.

My vision was blurred with tears as I held Megan and Michael close to me, but I refused to let them fall, knowing from the dampness on both of my shoulders that there would be enough weeping today without me joining in and making it worse.

"We love you, Emmy."

Even Megan was crying as they both pulled away, and I raised my hand up to wipe the tears from her face.

"I love you both, too. So, so much. And I believe with all my heart that you'll both do wonderful things with your lives. Promise me you'll look out for each other, alright?"

They both sniffled and nodded.

"We don't want you to go." Michael's voice shook.

"Michael," I took him firmly by the shoulders, "you are the strongest, bravest boy I know. But, if you ever need me, all you have to do is think of me, and I'll be there. You might not be able to see me, but I'll always be watching over you, just as so many people have watched over me. And Megan," I met her gaze, "never, ever, _ever_ let anyone make you doubt the fire you have inside you. You're a brilliant, intelligent girl who can do anything she puts her mind to. _Anything_. Remember that."

With a kiss to each of their cheeks, I stood and turned to Jim, and the unexpected sight of tears in his eyes made me brace myself for the goodbye that was to come. As soon as I'd taken a step towards him, he threw his arms around me, hugging me so tightly that I had to cough for air, but I didn't care in the slightest.

"Thank you for everything." I whispered.

"You're still one hundred percent sure you want to go through with this?" He asked once more, clearly trying to put on a strong face.

"I'm sure, but nice try, Jim." I smirked. "I know what I'm doing."

He ruffled my hair in one last affectionate gesture.

"We won't forget you, kid."

This time, I couldn't stop a couple tears from escaping, and I dreaded my goodbye to Sara with every fiber of my being as she came up to me and immediately pulled me into her embrace, and I fervently hugged her back, trying to commit the feeling to memory.

"I hope you find your happiness, Elizabeth." She prayed. "We'll always be thinking of you."

"Thank you, Sara. Thank you for making me a part of this family."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she pressed a kiss to my forehead, and my entire body shook with the force of how much I was going to miss them. When she drew back, I lifted my (empty) suitcase into my hand and stepped back, taking in the whole family.

"I love you all." I told them.

They all managed to put smiles on their faces – bitter though they were – and with that, I turned away and sprinted out the door and into the rain, which seemed to drizzle down even harder as I rushed down the driveway to my car.

I didn't look back.

XXXXX

The rain had ceased by the time I was traversing my way through the last stretch of forest guarding the manor, and much of the grief I'd felt upon leaving the Evers had been released in a good cry I'd had during a pause on the side of the road earlier on.

But now…now, when I was so close to seeing Edward again – to being back in his arms after three long years – a swell of the most glorious elation rose within me. After today, we would never again have to worry about being parted from each other. For over a hundred years we had waited to be joined together as husband and wife, and at long, _long_ last, our dreams were finally about to come true.

I was so giddy, I could hardly contain myself. My heart was beating faster than a rabbit's, and my hands were white from clenching onto the steering wheel in anticipation.

Just before the bend in the road appeared, I brought the car to a halt, determined to make the rest of the journey on foot, as I had with my father the first time I came here. Soon, I would be reunited with him and mother again.

I left everything in the car as I stepped out onto the dirt; after all, I wouldn't need any of it anymore. My feet carried me down the path at a leisurely pace as I closed my eyes and savored the fresh scent of rain on the breeze as it tousled my hair and the flowing, white skirts of my dress. When I opened my eyes again, it was to the sight of a great gate towering over me, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw the beautiful mansion that stood just beyond it, looking even more magnificent than I remembered:

 _Gracey Manor._

I was home.

This time, as I approached the gate, it opened immediately, and I was sure that Edward and the others knew I was here. My pace rapidly increased as I passed through the gate, and my eyes never left the mansion in front of me as I practically skipped my way up the drive towards it.

Just as Edward had said, Gracey Manor truly had been restored to its state of former glory. Gone were the filthy, broken windows and crumbling, overgrown foundations. Even the conservatory, which Jim had smashed his car through, was all back in one piece, and within the glass, I could see plants blooming with life – no doubt the work of Jamie and Aggie. I had only ever dreamed that I might see the manor looking this way again.

My feet were light as air as I climbed up the front steps and walked up to the door, but before I could lift even a finger to knock, it swung open, beckoning me inwards with the familiar scent of spices. And, like last time, no one stood on the other side.

"Hello?" I called out as I stepped across the threshold.

Just as the exterior had been renovated, so, too had the mansion's interior been cleaned and polished, relieved of the dust and cobwebs that had previously decorated every nook and cranny.

But right now, I was more interested in finding the location of the mansion's ghostly residents.

"Edward?" I called. "Emma?"

There was no sign of them as I peered curiously around the room, the slightest bit of uncertainty creeping into my mind.

"Jamie? Ezra? Is anyone here?"

Again, silence greeted me.

Right when I was beginning to think that something might be wrong, a loud creak came from my right, and I spun around to see the ballroom doors pulling themselves open. A relieved smile lit up my face. I ran eagerly beneath the clock and down the long corridor, fully expecting Edward to be standing there waiting for me. So, I was surprised upon entering to see not my fiancée standing in the middle of the room, but a small table, upon which rested my music box.

It was open when I walked up to it, the soft melody of our song drifting out into the air while our miniature copies twirled around in each other's arms, forever entwined.

All breath instantly left me as a hand tenderly caressed my neck.

"Hello, my love."

His soft, soothing voice sent shivers running through me, and my eyes involuntarily closed as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him, pressing his lips to the place where my neck and shoulder met.

Unable to bear another second without seeing his face, I forced my eyes to reopen and twisted myself around in his arms. Our gazes locked, and I smiled up at him adoringly.

"Edward." I breathed.

His dark eyes glowed as he beamed down at me, and in the next moment, I had thrown my arms around his neck and captured his lips with mine, kissing him with all of the love and devotion my heart had to offer him. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, his hands holding me to him with a strength that told me he meant it when he'd sworn that he would never let me go again. Even after the kiss was broken, we clung to each other, our bodies molded perfectly together as his fingers brushed through my hair and I regained my breath.

"God, how I've missed you." He whispered.

"Not half as much as I've missed you." I quipped.

He chuckled and kissed me once more.

"You've grown even more beautiful than the last time I saw you."

"Three years ago." I spoke disbelievingly. "I still don't know how I lasted that long, let alone how you did it for a hundred and twenty-two years! I must have thought about you at least ten times a day."

"As I did of you, sweet Elizabeth." He smiled, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I still can't believe this day is really here." I murmured.

"Can we please come out now?!" A familiar voice rang out from the servants' hallway. "We want to see her, too, you know!"

Edward and I looked at each other and in the next second fell apart laughing, our foreheads pressed together as we leaned against each other for support. It took a full minute before he was able to answer.

"Yes, yes! Come out, all of you!"

The words weren't finished leaving his mouth when Aggie and Jamie came rocketing into the room, and Edward released me so I could run to meet them halfway.

"Jamie! Aggie!" I grinned.

"Lizzie!" They both shouted back.

All of us crashed into each other in a mess of excited shrieking and giggling, unable to keep still, yet unwilling to let go of each other.

"You're finally back!" Aggie rejoiced.

"We've missed you terribly, Lizzie!" Jamie beamed at me.

"Oh, I've missed you, too!" I exclaimed. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

"And this time, you're here for good!" Aggie squeezed my hands, grinning with enthusiasm.

"I am." I grinned back at her.

"Elizabeth!"

Aggie and Jamie parted to allow Emma to come running up and to throw her arms around me, lifting me off of the floor.

"You're heeeeere!" She squealed. "You're here! You're here! You're here!"

"Glad to see you too, Emma!" I giggled as she put me down again.

"This all seems too good to be true!" She confessed. "Everyone is here!"

"Where's Ezra?" I asked.

"Right here, my dear."

" _And aren't you forgetting someone?"_

Two voices behind us made me turn, and I saw Ezra coming over to us, holding Madame Leota's crystal ball delicately in his hands while she glared up at him, daring him to try and drop her.

"Ezra!" I shouted, dashing up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Elizabeth." He greeted warmly. "It's good to have you home."

 _Home._ God, it felt good to call Gracey Manor home again.

" _Ahem!"_

The gypsy's cough drew my attention to downwards, and I kneeled on the floor to speak directly to her.

"Madame Leota, I can't thank you enough for all you've done. You tried to warn us about the curse, and when the time came, you helped the Evers discover the truth. You've helped us all so much."

Footsteps came up behind me, and then Edward was there, kneeling down next to me.

"I, too, thank you from the bottom of my heart, Madame Leota. I pray you can forgive me for the way I've treated you all these years. It was wrong of me, and I most sincerely apologize."

" _Apology accepted, Master Gracey."_ Madame Leota smirked.

He nodded in gratitude, and I brushed my fingers thankfully against his.

" _Well, then,"_ the gypsy continued, _"now that we're all together again…I'd say it's time we get this ceremony started."_

My heart fluttered nervously as I realized the implications of her words, and my face must have paled as well, for Edward glanced over at me in alarm. But as soon as his eyes met mine, I relaxed. This was our dream. This was what we'd always wanted – to have forever with each other. I was ready for this.

With a disarming smile, I took his hand in mine, and his features softened when he saw the confidence with which I gazed at him. As Ezra started to move with Madame Leota towards the ballroom stairs, Edward helped me rise to feet, and hand in hand, we turned and followed after them, making our journey towards the altar together. A glance backwards confirmed that Emma and the girls were right behind us, and all three beamed at me joyfully, filling my entire being with warmth.

When I returned my focus to the path ahead of us, I saw Ezra standing with Madame Leota at the top of the stairs, solidifying once and for all in my mind that this was really happening and I felt Edward's thumb brush comfortingly over my fingers as we began our ascent up the steps. My breath was trembling when we reached the landing, yet I was unafraid.

" _Dearly beloved,_ " Madame Leota spoke, _"it hardly seems necessary to say why we've all gathered here today, so I'll save us all some time and move ahead to the vows. Do either of you have something you wish to say?"_

"I do." Edward said, to my slight surprise.

His other hand reached for my free one and he turned me towards him, a beautiful, sweet smile on his lips.

"Elizabeth," he began, "from the moment you arrived at Gracey Manor, even when we were both just innocent children, I knew my heart belonged to you. I knew it on that first night we watched the storm together, I knew it when we shared our first kiss, and I certainly knew it the first time I asked you to marry me. But that night…the night I lost you…I cursed it with everything I had within me. I wanted to tear down the heavens for daring to send me an angel, only to reclaim her the moment she was in my grasp. But then you came back to me, my darling. You heard my prayer. And for the first time in a century, I feel as if I were truly alive. My soul is yours, Elizabeth. Do with it what you will."

Tears were misting in my eyes as he finished his dedication, and I was more certain than ever that this was the right choice.

" _Elizabeth?"_ Madame Leota prompted.

"Dearest Edward," I breathed out, "even when I couldn't remember you, my heart was searching for you, trying to find the reason that I felt so empty inside. And then we were reunited, and suddenly everything made sense again. I could breathe again. I thank God every second of every day for giving me a second chance – for bringing me back to you. I love you, Edward. I have loved you since I was eight years old, and as Emilia, I got to fall in love with you all over again. In both this life, and my past one, my soul has _always_ been yours. All I ask is to spend forever with you."

My voice was shaking as I spoke these last few words, and Edward's eyes were bright with unshed tears as he raised his fingers up to brush one away from the corner of my eye.

" _Edward Gracey, do you take this woman to be your wife? To love her as much in death as you did in life?"_ Madame Leota asked, keeping it simple and short.

"I do." He proclaimed, never taking his eyes off me.

" _And Elizabeth Henshaw, do you take this man to be your husband? To give up your life and be joined in the other land?"_

"I do." I beamed up at him happily through my tears.

" _Do you have the rings?"_

I bowed my head to allow Edward to slide the ring off the chain around my neck, and then he took my hand in his, slipping it into its rightful place on my finger. He looked surprised when I then reached into a small pocket in my skirt and retrieved the ring I'd had commissioned for him – a simple gold band with our initials engraved on one side. His eyes watched me intently as I took his hand in mine and slid the ring onto his finger.

"Oh, Elizabeth." He breathed.

" _I would hope, for the sake of all involved, that the answer is no, but is there anyone here who objects to this union?"_ Madame Leota enquired.

I held my breath for a second, half-expecting Ramsley to somehow reappear and ruin everything, but the room remained silent and Edward and I both relaxed.

" _Then, by the power invested in me as voice to the spirit realm, I now pronounce you…husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."_ She concluded.

An indescribable happiness overwhelmed me as Edward and I smiled at each other with a brilliance that outshone every star in the sky, and then he tilted my chin up and brought me into a rapturous, passionate kiss.

Everything around us melted away as I pulled my husband – _my husband_ – closer to me, exulting in the knowledge that, after all the years and years of waiting, we were finally one. I was his and he was mine.

When we finally did pull away, it was to the sound of the girls' cheering jubilantly, while Emma did her best to keep from sobbing hysterically.

"Congratulations, cousins!" Aggie grinned.

"Thank you, Aggie." Edward nodded, his hand around my waist."

"I'm so happy for you two!" Emma wept.

Ezra handed Madame Leota off to a reluctant Jamie and pulled out a handkerchief to hand to her, which she promptly blew her nose in.

"Thank you, Emma!" I laughed.

Refusing his wife's offer to take the handkerchief back, Ezra walked up to us, and I expected he would offer us a congratulatory word or even a hug, but his expression was somber. I understood why when a goblet and a recognizable vial materialized in his hands. Suddenly, my nerves had returned.

"Are you ready for this, my dear?" Ezra inquired quietly.

"You don't have to do this." Edward assured me, though his arm tightened around me.

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep, calming breath.

Then, I nodded.

"I'm ready."

My heart was nearly pounding out of my chest as I watched Ezra open the vial and tip its contents into the wine. But I meant what I'd said.

I had lived two wonderful lives. They were shorter than I thought they'd be, yes…but they were full, brimming with more adventures than one could possibly dream of and spent in the company of people I loved, and who loved me back.

Now, it was time for a new adventure. One I would face with my best friend in the entire world.

The love of my life.

"Edward," I turned to him, "will you stay with me? Until the end?"

He smiled gently.

"No, my darling. Not until the end."

His arms drew me close to him, and he leaned down to press his lips one last time to mine.

"Until the beginning."

XXXXX

 _Angels in heaven together at last_

 _The tale is well ended for those who have passed_

 _Love endures all, no reason, no rhyme_

 _It lasts forever, and forever all time._

XXXXX

 **The End.**

 **WEEEEEEEEEE DID IIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! We did it! We did it!**

 **I feel like some of you are probably upset that I killed her, but this was the ending that I had planned from the very beginning and I decided to stick with it. So I hope this doesn't totally ruin the story for you.**

 **HOWEVER, to make it up to those of you that wanted to see Elizabeth live her life, and because I was thinking about it anyway, I may or may not write an alternate ending to Before the Haunting Hour where Elizabeth and Edward really do end up running away together and living their lives and all that jazz. Let me know if you're interested!**

 **For now, I will just say, thank you all so, so much for your uplifting comments and your invaluable support! I hope you enjoyed the journey!**

 _ **Elactress**_


End file.
